Unconscious Fears
by Alyson Tierney
Summary: Sequel to "Arielle." Rory comes home for spring break, and chaos ensue. Rating is PG with warning of highly dramatic scenes.
1. Hammering Hearts

Unconscious Fears

By: Alyson Tierney

Disclaimer: I do not own Lorelai or Rory Gilmore, or any other character associated with Gilmore Girls the way it is seen on television. Those characters and other related things and ideas belong to Amy Sherman-Palladino and the WB Network. However, Alicia and Arielle's characters are figments of my own imagination, so I do own them. Please do not use them without my permission. Thank you.

Author's Note: This story is the sequel to my story "Arielle." If you don't read it first, you will be quite lost as far as the Alicia and Arielle storyline. Everything that has happened up to the Gilmore Girls episode "Not as Cute as Pushkin" is consistent with this story, but after that, it takes its own path, so relationships and other facts may be different than on the show. I am not a dream doctor, nor do I know anything about dreams, so if the dream interpreter is way off, please don't shout at me. Enjoy and please R&R!

CHAPTER ONE

Rory Gilmore tossed in her sleep, trying to escape the images going through her head. There was blood everywhere, on everything in the familiar living room turned butcher shop. Blood streaked the walls, the windows, and the carpet. Rory's heart clenched as she looked down at her mother's pale body. Lorelai looked dead. There were no apparent signs of injury, but the paleness and coldness of her mother made Rory absolutely sure she was dead. Where was the blood coming from? It was everywhere, the coppery smell tingling Rory's nostrils. She wanted to move, call 911 and have the doctors save her mother, but she couldn't. She just stood there and stared, as the prone figure on the floor began to decompose rapidly. Rory cried out, and struggled to wake up. She knew she had to be dreaming, but she just couldn't shake it. Lorelai was a skeleton now, the bones white and pristine. Rory choked back a sob, urging her mind to wake her up. _Come on, wake up. Wake up, Rory._

Rory let out a strangled cry, as she sat straight up in bed and opened her eyes wide in terror. Her breath was coming in small gasps as she tried to choke back the fear. Pushing her hair back from her eyes, Rory breathed deeply, trying to get her breathing under control. She looked around and sure enough, she was safely in bed in her dorm room. Outside was dark and still, clearly it was still the middle of the night. She took a breath, trying to calm her hammering heart, leaned over to the bedside table, and flipped on the lamp. Reaching for her cell phone, she saw that it was almost four. Not really caring, Rory dialed the familiar number, holding the phone to her ear, she let it ring. Once. Twice. Three times.

Finally, someone picked up, "Hello?" the voice mumbled.

"Hi, Mom." Rory said, letting her sleepy and timid voice tell her mom exactly why she was calling.

"Hey, babe." Lorelai said, sleepily, "Did it come back?"

"Yeah." Rory kept her answer short, because Lorelai already knew what she was talking about. They'd had this conversation for the past five nights now.

"Oh, honey. It's just a dream. Nothing's going to happen to me." Lorelai assured her daughter, "I still think you're just stressing because of midterms, but they'll be over tomorrow, and you'll come home and you and I will have over a week to hang out."

"I guess so…" Rory said, uncertainly.

"Honey, they started on the night before you started midterms. They'll probably be gone tomorrow night, and you'll be home and you can hang out with Lane and Alicia and your wonderful mother." Lorelai's voice sounded so certain and sure of herself that Rory had to giggle.

"How is Alicia, anyway? Is Arielle crawling yet?" Rory asked, her voice perking up at the mention of her friend and her friend's daughter.

"They're both great. Alicia is doing such a great job; you did a really good job training her over your winter break. Arielle's great, too, but no crawling as of yet. She's probably waiting for Auntie Rory to come and see her crawl on all fours for the first time, so in the meantime, she's decided to just stick with the safer belly-crawl. You know, being nine inches off the ground is a lot for a 7-month-old." Lorelai said, and Rory could just tell she was smiling.

"Of course." Rory grinned. She was still worried that her dream was something worse than just stress, but maybe her mom was right. She'd be home tomorrow, and everything would be good.

"So, when can I expect you back in the Hollow?" Lorelai asked, jolting Rory out of her thoughts.

Rory thought for a moment, "Well, I have one midterm in the morning, and then Logan and I are meeting for coffee, and then I'll get my stuff together and drive back. So, maybe mid-afternoon?"

"Okay, babe. I'm at the Inn in the morning, and then Luke and I are having lunch, and then I'm going home to see if I can figure out the problem with our roof." Lorelai said.

"There's a problem with our roof?" Rory asked, concerned, "You are not climbing on it so you can cut yourself again."

Lorelai sighed, "I'll be careful, I promise, Mom."

Rory giggled, "Thank you. What's the problem?"

"We have a waterfall of water gushing over the top of the rain gutter. Some of it is getting on the ceiling over the patio and it's getting grungy looking." Lorelai explained.

"That's the rain gutter, not the roof. Why don't you get your boyfriend to clean it?" Rory asked.

Lorelai chuckled, "He said he would get to it eventually…and he said that like five weeks ago."

"Well, at least it's less than six months. That's how long it took Max to clean ours." Rory pointed out, and then yawned.

"Tired, babe?" Lorelai asked.

"Yeah, a bit." Rory turned off the light and lay back down, "Will you sing me to sleep like you did last night?" she asked.

"Of course." Lorelai answered. She dropped her voice to a soft, soothing whisper, and began to sing. Rory closed her eyes and listened, feeling safe and comforted. She let herself be lulled to sleep, knowing that once her mom disconnected the line, her phone would shut off.


	2. Coffee and Ice Cream

Unconscious Fears

By: Alyson Tierney

Disclaimer: I do not own Lorelai or Rory Gilmore, or any other character associated with Gilmore Girls the way it is seen on television. Those characters and other related things and ideas belong to Amy Sherman-Palladino and the WB Network. However, Alicia and Arielle's characters are figments of my own imagination, so I do own them. Please do not use them without my permission. Thank you.

Author's Note: This story is the sequel to my story "Arielle." If you don't read it first, you will be quite lost as far as the Alicia and Arielle storyline. Everything that has happened up to the Gilmore Girls episode "Not as Cute as Pushkin" is consistent with this story, but after that, it takes its own path, so relationships and other facts may be different than on the show. I am not a dream doctor, nor do I know anything about dreams, so if the dream interpreter is way off, please don't shout at me. Thank you to those who reviewed the first chapter, I'm glad to see some familiar faces as well as some new ones. Enjoy and please R&R!

CHAPTER TWO

Rory headed to the coffee kiosk, excited that her break had officially begun. She spotted Logan sitting at a table sipping his coffee. His blonde head was buried in a big, thick book that Rory could only guess was his Chemistry book. Unlike her, Logan had a midterm this afternoon, so she'd have to be careful not to gloat too much about being done before him.

She slipped into a seat at the table, and Logan looked up and smiled, "Hey, Ace." He closed his Chemistry book, slipping a piece of paper in to keep his place. Standing, he leaned over the table and kissed her forehead, "How was your midterm?" he asked.

Rory smiled, leaning into his touch, before grabbing a sip from the second coffee cup on the table, "It was good." She said, smiling, "I can't wait to get home and see Mom and Lane and Alicia and Arielle."

"I'm glad I finally got to meet your mom over winter break. She seems very cool." Logan smiled at her.

Rory grinned, "She's terrific."

Logan nodded, "She seems it—and the way you talk about her just backs that up."

Rory smiled and took another sip, "What are you doing over break?" she asked.

"Well, Finn and Colin want me to go to Miami with them. They're set on bar-hopping and insist we go to the beach to do it. They asked me if you wanted to come with, but I know you'd rather spend time with your mom…" Logan looked at Rory questioningly.

Rory smiled, "You know I'd love to go, but it's just that I missed spending last summer and last spring break with her, and I really want to be able to spend more than just a weekend with her and my friends in Stars Hollow."

Logan nodded, "And that's what I thought you'd say. I didn't really want to go anyway; they're both bringing girls who are pretty ditzy. I'd have thought they'd have more class than to bring along girls like that, but then again…"

"They're Finn and Colin." Rory finished up for him.

"Exactly. Well, what if you, Lane, and Alicia come into New Haven some night for a dinner or party with me? There's one on Saturday night that's supposed to be a blast." Logan propped his elbows on the table, "What do you say?"

Rory grinned, "You don't have to…" she started, "I mean, if you want to go, you should go."

Logan nodded, "But that's the beauty of it. I don't have to. I'm staying because I want to. If my Ace wants to be in Connecticut for spring break, then so shall her Mac."

Rory rolled her eyes, "I told you if you even hoped for a chance at being my girl, you'll stop with the Mac stuff." Mac stood for Master and Commander, which is what Logan had requested Rory call him when they'd first met and she didn't know his name.

Logan chuckled, "So, what do you think?"

"I think I say thank you." Rory said, smiling, as she leaned in for a kiss. She finished her coffee, and said goodbye to Logan. Dialing her cell phone, she headed back towards Branford Hall, where her room was.

Lorelai was just finishing her lunch of a giant cheeseburger and fries with ketchup when her cell phone rang. She smiled as Luke pretended to ignore that she was on the phone, amid Kirk's protesting that Lorelai was breaking one of the diner's rules, "Hello?" she said, knowing exactly who to expect.

"Hey, Mom." Rory's voice sounded excited and happy as she talked, "I'm just going to my dorm to get my stuff, and I should be home within an hour."

"Yay! I can't wait to see you! How was your last midterm?" Lorelai asked.

"It was great. How's Luke?" Rory inquired of her mom.

"He's good. Lane's here too, she's serving us while Luke takes his lunch break." Lorelai smiled across the table at Luke.

"Good! Well, I'll see you in an hour? You want me to meet you at home or at the diner?" Rory asked.

"At home. I'll have some ice cream waiting." Lorelai said, grinning as Luke immediately got up to go behind the counter to get some.

"You got it! See you soon." Rory said, waiting for her mom to respond before hanging up.

"See you soon, babe." Lorelai said, hanging up the phone. She stood up, picking up her purse and taking one last bite of fry, "I've got to get home."

Luke put the ice cream in a bag, "Take this with you, put it in the freezer, and have it when Rory comes home."

"Thanks, Luke." Lorelai grinned as he leaned in for a kiss. After a few kisses, she turned to look at Lane, "See you in awhile?" she asked.

"See you then. Does Rory know I'm coming?" Lane asked.

Lorelai grinned mischievously, "Nope, she does not. I thought I'd surprise her by having her two bestest friends there waiting for her along with her favorite mommy."

Lane chuckled, "She'll like that. I'll be there in a little while."

Lorelai grinned, "Okay." She kissed Luke once more, before heading out the door. She zipped up her jacket against the nippy day. It wasn't too bad out, the sun was out and the streets were wet with melting snow, but anything below 60 degrees was cold to Lorelai, so she stayed snug in her coat. Walking home, she picked up some wet snow and molded it to make a snowball. This was likely the last snow of the season, and she'd hate to see it go. At least spring coming meant flowers and other pretty things would grow. Everyone knew how much Lorelai Gilmore liked pretty things.


	3. Tasteless Music

Unconscious Fears

By: Alyson Tierney

Disclaimer: I do not own Lorelai or Rory Gilmore, or any other character associated with Gilmore Girls the way it is seen on television. Those characters and other related things and ideas belong to Amy Sherman-Palladino and the WB Network. However, Alicia and Arielle's characters are figments of my own imagination, so I do own them. Please do not use them without my permission. Thank you.

Author's Note: This story is the sequel to my story "Arielle." If you don't read it first, you will be quite lost as far as the Alicia and Arielle storyline. Everything that has happened up to the Gilmore Girls episode "Not as Cute as Pushkin" is consistent with this story, but after that, it takes its own path, so relationships and other facts may be different than on the show. I am not a dream doctor, nor do I know anything about dreams, so if the dream interpreter is way off, please don't shout at me. Thank you to those who reviewed the first two chapters, I'm glad to see some familiar faces as well as some new ones. Enjoy and please R&R!

CHAPTER THREE

Lorelai peered out the living room window of the Gilmore house a little while later. She turned around and smiled at Alicia and Lane, who were playing with Arielle on the floor. Arielle reached for a stuffed penguin, getting up on her hands and knees, but grabbed it before she had to crawl an inch.

"She's so close." Alicia said, smiling, "She wants to, but she can't quite make herself do it."

"She'll get there. Trust me, when we're baby proofing the inn, and keeping her out of things, and cleaning up one mess while she trashes something else, you're going to miss these days." Lorelai said, looking wistful.

Lane laughed, "Yeah. Mama kept mentioning how I always used to get into the pots and pans and make the evil death rocker music."

Alicia smiled, "A musician from the start. I wonder what Ari will be?"

"She better not be something like an electrician or a plumber." Lane muttered, and then picked Arielle up, holding her to her level, "You hear that, sweetie? No plumbers or electricians ok?"

Arielle squealed and grabbed for Lane's glasses. Lane chuckled and kissed the baby's nose. "So, can she date an electrician or a plumber?" Lorelai asked, going to check out the window again.

"No!" Lane and Alicia cried at the same time.

Lorelai chuckled and then looked out the window and gasped at the sight of her daughter coming up the steps, "Rory!" she squealed, and bounded to the door as Rory let herself inside. Lorelai flew into Rory's arms and hugged her tightly, "I missed you!"

Rory rolled her eyes, "Mom. I saw you last weekend. Remember—I came home to study for midterms?" Rory gently reminded her mom.

Lorelai looked puzzled, "That was you? Are you sure? It might have been Alicia or Lane, or maybe Arielle skipped about a hundred years…" trailing off she grinned and cupped Rory's face with both hands, planting a kiss on her forehead, "How are you doing?"

"I'm home, so I'm good." Rory said, dropping her bag and walking into the living room, "Lane! Alicia! What are you guys doing here?" Rory exclaimed, a huge grin on her face as both of her best friends got up to envelop her in a hug.

"We just decided to drop by…we were in the neighborhood." Lane smirked.

"You're always in the neighborhood." Rory grinned, leaning over to scoop up Arielle, "Hey, baby! How's my little niece?" she asked. Arielle grinned and clapped her hands.

"She's great." Alicia smiled at her daughter, fingering the yellow Pooh Bear jumper she was wearing, "She likes to move. She's got the slithering across the floor thing down."

"That's good." Rory said giving Arielle's tummy a few kisses. Arielle giggled madly, and Rory smiled, setting the baby down on her blanket again, "So, what's new? Is there anything exciting happening in Stars Hollow?" Rory asked, plopping herself down on the couch, slipping out of her shoes and pulling her feet underneath her.

"It's Stars Hollow." Lane said, not needing to say anything else as she sat next to her best friend.

"Gotcha." Rory smiled, "How are things at work for you guys?"

Lane blinked, "Who cares about work? You've got a guy now! Come on, spill!"

Rory looked over at Alicia, who handed her daughter a bright red chunky block and came over to sit on Rory's other side, "Don't look at me! I haven't had a boyfriend or a girlfriend in months. Having a 7-month-old isn't exactly conducive to having a love life."

Lorelai chuckled, "I can attest to that!" she agreed.

Rory laughed, "Well, there's not much to tell. I'm not even sure he's my guy, technically. We just have coffee or go to the pub or study together."

"They went out for dinner earlier this week." Lorelai chimed in, making kissing noises at her daughter. She plopped down next to Arielle, and smiled at the baby when Arielle offered her a blue block.

"Mom!" Rory exclaimed, to which Alicia and Lane both burst out laughing.

"He's her guuuuuuuuy!" Alicia said in a singsong voice.

Rory rolled her eyes, "Well, guy or not, he said he'd stay in Connecticut over break, and he wanted to know if maybe you guys would want to go out to a party or dinner tomorrow night."

Lane nodded, "Sure, I'd love that. Is there going to be good music there?"

Alicia chuckled, "I don't think Rory would dare bring you to a party that had tasteless music."

Rory smiled, "Nope, I learned that lesson years ago. Remember Whitney's party in eighth grade?" she asked.

Alicia groaned, "That was horrible. Lane spent the first five minutes in shock that they would dare play that music at a party for teenagers, the next five minutes complaining about it, and the last five minutes bolting down the street in terror."

Rory laughed at the memory, and Lane pouted, "Okay, that is such an exaggeration! I was walking fast!"

"Walking fast enough to go over the speed limit." Alicia put in, as she and Rory chuckled.

Rory unzipped her jacket, and removed her gloves, setting her purse on the coffee table, as the girls watched Arielle for a few minutes. The child took a green block from Lorelai, but when Lorelai handed her a blue one, she wrinkled her nose and handed it back. She then got up on her hands and knees and looked towards the kitchen, where her stuffed platypus was on the floor where it had been tossed earlier. Wrinkling her brow, she rocked back and forth a few times.

"Is that Mr. Tomlin? Do you want to go get Mr. Tomlin?" Lorelai asked the baby, who looked up at Lorelai and smiled. She plopped down on her belly and pulled herself towards the platypus. Lorelai got down on her stomach and followed Arielle, tickling the baby's toes to get her to go faster. Arielle squealed with laughter, and Alicia chuckled.

"What about Arielle?" Alicia asked, "I don't want to bring her to the party."

"Oh, Ari can hang with me. We're old buddies by now, aren't we Miss Ari?" Lorelai asked, as the infant finally reached the platypus and grabbed it with one hand. Lorelai tickled Arielle's feet, and then scooped up the baby, bringing her back to the blanket.

"That would be great. Thanks, Lorelai." Alicia said.

"Anytime, sweetie." Lorelai smiled at her, as she tried to interest Arielle in a rubber ducky. Arielle grabbed the duck, and stuffed it in her mouth, using her other hand to play with the patterns on the blanket.

"Does anyone think we're spoiling her?" Alicia asked, glancing at the mound of toys surrounding Arielle.

"Nah!" Lorelai, Rory, and Lane all chorused.

Alicia smiled, "That's what I thought."

"Are we going to dinner tonight, Mom?" Rory asked.

Lorelai rolled her eyes, "We sure are. Your newly-married-again grandparents are going on a trip to the Gulf of Mexico tomorrow, but they wanted to see us before they went. Something about needing to make sure we had all the emergency numbers and whatnot."

Rory grinned, "Got it. We have to have the emergency numbers." Lorelai and Rory both knew the real reason; they didn't want to miss any more dinners than necessary. They may have completely different personalities, but in the end, Emily, Richard, Lorelai, and Rory were family.


	4. Flowers and Fears

Unconscious Fears

By: Alyson Tierney

Disclaimer: I do not own Lorelai or Rory Gilmore, or any other character associated with Gilmore Girls the way it is seen on television. Those characters and other related things and ideas belong to Amy Sherman-Palladino and the WB Network. However, Alicia and Arielle's characters are figments of my own imagination, so I do own them. Please do not use them without my permission. Thank you.

Author's Note: This story is the sequel to my story "Arielle." Everything that has happened up to the Gilmore Girls episode "Not as Cute as Pushkin" is consistent with this story, but after that, it takes its own path, so relationships and other facts may be different than on the show. I am not a dream doctor, or a medical doctor, nor do I know anything about dreams or medicine, so if the information is way off, please don't shout at me. I just wanted to note that I am well aware of the similarities in this story to previous stories. I'm drawing a parallel that you will hopefully understand in the end. I'll probably explain it to those of you, who aren't sure, but yes, I know there are similarities, and they are there for a reason. Thank you to those who reviewed the first chapters, I'm glad to see some familiar faces as well as some new ones. One last thing, this story is already completely written, and while suggestions and comments are completely welcome, the story is written, so I'm probably not going to change anything. Enjoy and please R&R!

CHAPTER FOUR

"Spring is coming, oh yeah, yeah! Spring is coming, round the bend! Spring is coming and bringing flowers! Pretty flowers for you and me!" Lorelai sang as she skipped up the snowy walk to the front door. Rory laughed as she followed her mother, who'd obviously had a little bit too much dessert. Rory had driven home, and the whole way, her mom had been singing. Dinner was probably one of the best they'd had in awhile, with her grandparents still over the moon about their vow renewal ceremony two weeks before. Rory and Lorelai had both been Emily's bridesmaids, and couldn't stop smiling through the entire ceremony. Now, everyone was as happy as a clam, and Rory was completely thrilled. Now her grandparents were probably packing for their trip, since they were leaving early in the morning.

"Mom, I think that third piece of cake may have been overdoing it." Rory said, as Lorelai unlocked the door and skipped into the house.

"Maybe, but they kept offering to refill my plate. What would I be, saying no to cake?" Lorelai asked.

"You'd be the person who's not still going to be awake at three in the morning." Rory pointed out, as she headed into the living room. She picked up a few of Arielle's toys and tossed them into her porta-crib that they'd set up in the corner. Arielle would sometimes stay over at the Gilmores' for a few hours, so Lorelai had made it a point to have a place for her to sleep and toys for her to play with.

"Maybe I want to be up at three in the morning." Lorelai offered, picking up the pink-striped blanket Arielle had been sitting on earlier. She folded it with the utmost care, before carefully laying it over the side of the crib.

Rory chuckled and waved the plastic baby doll she'd just picked up, "With an active 7-month-old coming over tomorrow night?"

Lorelai chuckled, "Okay, maybe not. Are you excited for the party?" she asked her daughter, scooping up a red cloth ball from where it had rolled under the easy chair. Rory had called Logan in the car on the way to Hartford, and they were all set to hang out with Lane and Alicia the following night.

Rory nodded, "Yeah!" she said, smiling, "It'll be nice to introduce my two best friends to the Yale crowd. I just hope they fit in…"

"Ahh, if they don't you can just get them drunk. Drunk people always fit in." Lorelai said, chucking the toy she was holding into the crib. She then plopped down on the couch, bouncing a little in place.

Rory tossed the last armload of toys into the crib, and then sat down next to her mom, laughing, "They fit in because being drunk loosens them up so much they don't feel shy or out of place."

Lorelai chuckled, "Well, yeah!" she agreed. She watched as her daughter halfheartedly picked up a magazine from the table, and settled back into the cushions to read. Reaching out, Lorelai ran her hands through Rory's brown hair, smiling at her daughter as she looked up. She scooted closer to Rory, and picked up the remote, switching the TV on, but not really caring what channel it landed on.

The girls sat in silence for a few moments, as Rory shifted position a few times, trying to get comfortable. Finally, Lorelai pulled a pillow into her lap, and patted it, smiling. Rory grinned, laying her head onto the pillow, and looking up into her mom's face. Lorelai's blue eyes were full of joy and satisfaction, as she cherished every moment she did get with her daughter ever since she'd started college.

"So, what's up with Brad and Jennifer now?" Lorelai asked, placing her hand on Rory's forehead, brushing her hair away from her face with soft caresses.

"Who knows? I have never made a point to follow them…that's your department." Rory reminded her mom.

"Oh yeah…well with the Inn and stuff, I don't know either." Lorelai retorted with a smile, "Wow, we've grown up."

"Grown up? Says the woman with the Hello Kitty pillow." Rory grinned.

"Hey! I resent that remark!" Lorelai did her best to look insulted. She poked Rory in the side a few times, "You are teasing the woman who birthed you! After 14 hours of labor!"

Rory chuckled and then squealed as her mom poked her. Rolling away from her, she sat up and tried to defend herself from the poking. She finally grabbed a pillow from the couch and whacked her mother with it. Lorelai squeaked and bolted away from the couch and around the back of it, grabbing another pillow and tossing it in Rory's direction.

Rory ducked and then raced through the kitchen and into her room, grabbing her own pillows to use as ammunition. When Lorelai popped into the doorframe, Rory let loose with a barrage of pillows. Lorelai squealed with laughter and raced into the room, leaping under Rory's covers.

"Oh, that's going to protect you!" Rory crowed, jumping onto the bed herself and tickling her mom through the blankets. Lorelai popped out from underneath and tickled Rory back, both of them tickling and giggling until they were out of breath.

"That was fun." Lorelai proclaimed, as she ran out of the room quickly. Rory knew where she was going, so she slipped into her ice cream pajamas, bouncing up and down on her bed until her mom returned, also pajama-clad, with a carton of ice-cream and two spoons.

"Ice cream? Right before bed?" Rory asked, "You crazy woman, you."

Lorelai smiled, 'Maybe." She giggled before jumping onto the bed, "Have some?"

Rory grinned, "Absolutely." Sitting next to her mom, she grabbed for the spoon, and the girls dug in, enjoying the cold treat and each others' company.

Not long after they'd finished eating, Rory yawned, causing Lorelai to yawn, too. "Bedtime?" Lorelai asked, pulling back Rory's covers so her daughter could slip into them. After Rory did so, she tucked her daughter in, and kissed her cheek, "I love you, babe, sweet dreams." Lorelai said.

"Dreams…" Rory mumbled, "Bad dreams…" She was almost asleep, but the troubled look on her daughter's face made Lorelai hesitate. Maybe it wouldn't be a bad idea to stay with her, she hadn't been sleeping well lately. Lorelai crossed the room, and turned out the light, tiptoeing back to the bed and laying down next to Rory. She felt her daughter snuggle into her from one side, and smiled. This reminded her of the first years of Rory's life, when they'd lived in the potting shed. They'd shared a bed there, and Rory was so used to her mother's presence that she'd been pretty lonely in her own room when they'd first moved here. She still, even in college, liked to have her mom nearby while sleeping if she was scared or hurt or hadn't been sleeping well.


	5. Living, Breathing, and Healthy

Unconscious Fears

By: Alyson Tierney

Disclaimer: I do not own Lorelai or Rory Gilmore, or any other character associated with Gilmore Girls the way it is seen on television. Those characters and other related things and ideas belong to Amy Sherman-Palladino and the WB Network. However, Alicia and Arielle's characters are figments of my own imagination, so I do own them. Please do not use them without my permission. Thank you.

Author's Note: This story is the sequel to my story "Arielle." Everything that has happened up to the Gilmore Girls episode "Not as Cute as Pushkin" is consistent with this story, but after that, it takes its own path, so relationships and other facts may be different than on the show. I am not a dream doctor, or a medical doctor, nor do I know anything about dreams or medicine, so if the information is way off, please don't shout at me.

I just wanted to note that I am well aware of the similarities in this story to previous stories. I'm drawing a parallel that you will hopefully understand in the end. Thank you to those who reviewed the first chapters, I'm glad to see some familiar faces as well as some new ones. It's each and every one of yours' feedback, comments, likes, and dislikes that helps this story. Enjoy and please R&R!

CHAPTER FIVE

Lorelai rushed down the stairs in the Gilmore house the next evening. Pretty necklace in hand, she knocked on the door to her daughter's room, "Entréz!" Rory's voice called out. Lorelai opened the door, and smiled, her daughter looked especially stunning in her red and black top, stretch jeans, and chunky shoes, her hair curled around her face.

"Wow. My baby's all grown up into a beautiful woman." Lorelai beamed with pride, causing Rory to grin, "Turn around, I have something for you."

"What is it?" Rory asked, turning around obediently. When her mom placed the necklace around her neck, Rory lifted her hair, and smiled, "Pretty. What's the occasion?"

Lorelai shrugged, "I just felt like giving my daughter something pretty to wear as she goes out into the college kingdom with her two best friends and her boyfriend. Maybe this will encourage her to return home, and not join a traveling dance coupe."

"I don't dance." Rory said, letting her hair go, and turning to face her mom.

"You don't now, but you never know what'll happen after five beers and two tequila shots." Lorelai raised an eyebrow as she grinned at her daughter.

"I'll throw up?" Rory asked.

"Exactly." Lorelai said, dryly. She whipped her head around as the doorbell rang. Throwing an arm over her daughter's shoulder, the two of them walked to the door, and Lorelai flung it open, "Hey, girls!"

"Hi, Lorelai!" Alicia said, stepping into the house, carrying Arielle and her diaper bag, "Hey, Rory, your driver has arrived."

Lane stepped in after them, "She's lucky she's got breastfeeding as an excuse not to drink or else we might have a problem later."

Lorelai took Arielle from her mother, "No problems, please. I want three living, breathing, and healthy women tomorrow morning." She said, as she bounced Arielle gently on her hip. The baby smiled and reached out for Lorelai's hair. Arielle loved to play with hair, and her mother had cut her hair so it was above her chin, as to avoid little hands grabbing it.

"Living, breathing, and healthy—got it." Lane smiled, as Rory grabbed her coat, "We'll be back before dawn."

"I hope." Rory added, "Kidding!" Rory grinned at Lorelai's playful glare.

"Have fun, girls!" Lorelai said, before turning her attention to Arielle, "Say bye bye, Ari!"

Arielle waved to her mom, Rory, and Lane. Alicia took her daughter's face in her hands and kissed her, "Mommy loves you. Have fun with Lorelai."

Lorelai raised her voice to speak in baby talk, "I love you, Mommy! Have fun at your party! Don't worry about me and Auntie Lorelai, we'll have a swell time watching R-rated movies!" Arielle giggled, and Alicia rolled her eyes.

"Great. You're going to warp my child. I'm eternally grateful." Alicia said, grinning.

"Bye, Mom." Rory said, giving her mom a hug and a quick kiss, "Have fun, Ari."

"Bye, babe. Have a good time." Lorelai said. As the door closed, she went to the window, so Arielle could look out. The baby always liked to watch the car drive away, she had a fascination with things that moved, "See, Ari? They're going to a party. When you get older, you'll go to parties, too, but not for a very long time, ok?" Lorelai asked the infant.

Arielle smiled, her bright blue eyes sparkling. She giggled, reaching her hand up to twirl her auburn locks a few times, before squirming to get down. Lorelai placed her on the floor, and watched as she pulled herself along the floor. She finally reached the coffee table and quick as a bunny, grabbed her soft red ball, and put it in her mouth.

"Teething?" Lorelai asked, as she sat down next to her, "You're much too happy for a teething baby." Lorelai grinned as she watched the small child. She reminded Lorelai a lot of Rory when she'd been that little, barring the cheerfulness while teething. Arielle had cut three teeth, and hadn't stopped smiling. She chewed on things a lot, but almost never cried. Rory had cried often when she'd been teething, there had been nights when Lorelai had been afraid she'd never stop.

The party was in full swing already by the time Alicia, Rory, and Lane met Logan in the driveway. He was sitting on the hood of his car, swaying to the music that was blaring from inside the house.

"Hey, Ace!" Logan exclaimed, jumping off the car and meeting Rory with a long kiss. She lost herself in Logan's touch, before remembering her friends, and pulling away. Both Lane and Alicia were staring at her with goofy grins on their faces.

"Sorry." Rory said, sheepishly.

"No, don't be sorry!" Lane said, quickly.

"Never be sorry." Alicia added, grinning at her best friend.

Rory laughed, "Okay. Logan, these are my best friends, Lane and Alicia. Lane, Alicia, this is my…this is Logan."

"Hi, Logan!" Alicia and Lane said in unison.

Rory rolled her eyes, "Let's go, guys." She said, taking Logan's arm and hurrying him up the sidewalk.

Rory's fears that her friends wouldn't fit in with the Yale elite were soon diminished as Lane immediately was surrounded by guys. By the time the first five minutes were up, Alicia seemed to be fairly comfortable mingling with a few of Rory's female classmates. Logan soon had Rory occupied on the dance floor, and the night seemed to be going very smoothly—until the kegs of beer arrived.

Alicia watched, a little worried, as she saw how freely her friends drank. When they were done with their glass, they just got another. Neither Lane nor Rory seemed to count how many drinks they were having. Alicia had always done that, even when she herself was still in college. A lot of people got pregnant because they were drunk or high, but Alicia simply had made a stupid decision. Of course, she now had Arielle, the light of her life, so it wasn't at all bad.

Alicia looked at her watch, deciding she was going to give them five more minutes before she dragged their butts out of there, "Okay, maybe three minutes." She amended, as she watched a man wearing absolutely nothing go sauntering past. He was carrying about five bottles of beer, and had a 'Y' drawn on his butt cheeks in blue marker. She didn't really care to find out why.

"Okay, Lainey! Let's go!" Alicia said, grabbing her friend as she walked past.

"Go? To Hawaii?" Lane asked, as she looked at her friend, "I don't think I can fly that far."

"No, no flying. I'm going to drive us home. Where's Rory?" Alicia asked.

"She's…hic…over there…hic…with Logan and the punch bowl…hic…cutie." Lane said, hiccupping her way through the sentence.

"Wonderful." Alicia said, taking Lane's hand and going over to the punch bowl. She noticed that Logan was just about as sloshed as Rory, and immediately took his cuteness rating down a few notches in her head, "Ror, let's go." Alicia said, holding out her hand.

"Can my Mackie come with us?" Rory asked, pulling her lips into a pout.

"No, Logan can't come with us." Alicia said, a little forcefully. She knew Rory, and any bit of relenting in Alicia's voice would be immediately heard as a way to break Alicia down.

"Fine!" Rory glared at Alicia. She grabbed Logan in a searing kiss that would have been more truly passionate had they not both been completely drunk. She then stomped past Alicia and Lane, towards the door. Alicia rolled her eyes, and she and Lane followed, waving goodbye to Logan.


	6. I Hate You

Unconscious Fears

By: Alyson Tierney

Disclaimer: I do not own Lorelai or Rory Gilmore, or any other character associated with Gilmore Girls the way it is seen on television. Those characters and other related things and ideas belong to Amy Sherman-Palladino and the WB Network. However, Alicia and Arielle's characters are figments of my own imagination, so I do own them. Please do not use them without my permission. Thank you.

Author's Note: This story is the sequel to my story "Arielle." Everything that has happened up to the Gilmore Girls episode "Not as Cute as Pushkin" is consistent with this story, but after that, it takes its own path, so relationships and other facts may be different than on the show. I am not a dream doctor, or a medical doctor, nor do I know anything about dreams or medicine, so if the information is way off, please don't shout at me.

Thank you to those who reviewed the first chapters, I'm glad to see some familiar faces as well as some new ones. It's each and every one of yours' feedback, comments, likes, and dislikes that helps this story. I'm not making Rory pregnant, I'd never do that, but the big drama is coming up very soon. Enjoy and please review if you wish!

CHAPTER SIX

Lorelai kissed Arielle's head before laying her in the crib. After a few hours of playing, watching about five seconds of Teletubbies, and a quick meal, Arielle was sound asleep. Lorelai kneeled next to the porta-crib, brushing her hand over Arielle's auburn curls, before covering her with a pale yellow blanket. She was glad Arielle was mostly out of the danger zone for SIDS, because blankets were such a vital part of sleeping. They kept you covered and warm, and it was something to snuggle with. She still wouldn't be ready for a pillow until she was in a big-girl bed, which Lorelai hoped never happened. She loved being with a baby again, and it suddenly made her envision having one with Luke. She laughed as she remembered her dream a few years back, she and Luke had been married and she'd been carrying twins. When Lorelai had told her daughter about that dream, Rory had just laughed and remarked on how fat Lorelai was going to get.

Standing, Lorelai walked over to the window, and looked out at the yard. The snow was quickly melting now, leaving wet puddles all over the town. It still got chilly at night, though. She watched as a stream of headlights beamed over the driveway, and smiled. Rory was home. Alicia's Toyota drove up, stopping at the end of the driveway. Alicia got out, hurrying over to Rory's side of the car. Lorelai's brow crinkled as she watched her daughter stumble out of the car and head unsteadily towards the house. She sighed, Rory had gone and gotten plastered again. Lorelai knew it was partially her fault, because she encouraged it, but part of it had been because she knew Rory wouldn't do it anyway. At least she used to be like that.

The door opened, and Lorelai turned, a concerned look on her face, but then smiling, "Hey, Alicia! Hey, babe! How was the party?"

Rory jumped up and down with delight, and then stumbled to the side, "It was great! I had so much fun! Kissing Logan…dancing…drinking…oh the drinking was the best!"

Lorelai's brows arched as she looked at Alicia, who shrugged, "She and Lane were like that all the way home." Alicia informed Lorelai.

"Being like this is fun! You should have had some happy stuff too!" Rory grinned, "Boy, I'm pumped. Do we have any chocolate? I feel like chocolate!" Rory took off her jacked and dropped it to the floor, stumbling into the kitchen.

"How much did she have?" Lorelai asked Alicia in a sotto voice.

Alicia looked uncomfortable, "Too much. She and Lane were like some of those girls who can't control how much alcohol they take in. I actually had to make them leave."

Lorelai sighed, "Great."

The two walked into the living room, and Alicia carefully picked up her daughter, "How was she?"

Lorelai smiled, "She was great. We played and watched a little Teletubbies, and she had a snack before she went down."

Alicia smiled back, "Good." They whipped their heads around as a crash resounded from the kitchen. Rory muttered a profanity, and Alicia rolled her eyes, "I'll leave you to it." Alicia said, pulling Arielle's coat around her.

"Thanks, Alicia. Drive safe." Lorelai said, giving the baby a kiss before sending the two on their way. She hurried into the kitchen, where Rory had knocked a whole bunch of things off the counter in her search for chocolate, "Babe! What are you doing?" Lorelai asked, surveying the mess.

"I want chocolate!" Rory said, as she rummaged through a cabinet.

"Rory, sweetie, let's get to bed." Lorelai said, helping her daughter down from the shelf she was kneeling on.

"But I want chocolate. It completes my lovely night of drinking." Rory slurred, as she turned to look in a different cabinet.

"Honey, let's get to bed." Lorelai said, gently, trying to tug her daughter towards her bedroom, but Rory wouldn't have it.

"Oh, so you're trying to ruin my fun? Why are you doing that? I need my fun, Mommy, I'm in college!" Rory said pulling away and opening the oven door so she could look in, "Did you make any chocolate chip cookies?"

"Babe, I'm not trying to ruin your fun. Let's go to bed." Lorelai gently closed the oven door, and tried to lead her daughter towards her bedroom again, but to no avail.

"Yes, you are! You don't want me to have fun! You don't want me to drink! You don't want me to party! You just want me to sit home and knit or study or whatever." Rory said, her voice rising.

"Honey, I'm not trying to ruin your fun. I'm just a little worried by your state tonight. Well, I worry about your drinking state a lot, but that's not important right now. You need sleep and a chance to cool down." Lorelai said, her tone staying very calm. If Rory had been sober, she probably would have been worried about how eerily calm Lorelai was right at that moment.

"You worry about my drinking state a lot? What the hell is that supposed to mean?" Rory asked, anger evident in her voice.

"I just worry about how much you've changed in the last year. You're supposed to grow and mature, I know that, but you've done almost a complete 180 degrees since…" Lorelai was starting to get a little annoyed that her daughter was pressing the issue, but she did understand that she was drunk and irrational.

"Since when? I slept with Dean? Oh, say it, Mother! You're embarrassed and ashamed and angry with me because I slept with Dean! Well, you were sleeping with Dad when you were about five years younger!" Rory's voice became loud and shrill, her face turning red.

"Hey! Don't turn this around and blame it on me! You are a sensible girl and can make your own decisions." Lorelai said, her temper starting to rise.

"Oh, I am blaming it on you. It's your fault. I hate you!" Rory screamed. She pushed past Lorelai and stormed into her room, slamming the door behind her, "I hate you!" Rory screamed at the door, and then threw herself on the bed, sobbing. She was hurt and angry and all she'd wanted was some chocolate. Biting back tears, she slipped out of her clothes and into her pajamas, and crawled under the covers. Her chest shook as she cried herself to sleep.

Lorelai's mouth was open in shock as she listened to her daughter yell and then march into her room. She could hear her crying, but made no move to comfort her. She wasn't sure why, but her mind told her Rory needed to be alone right now. She slowly picked up the mess on the floor, straightening everything up. Turning off the lights, she headed upstairs to her room. She was soon ready for bed, and lay there listening to the water drip outside. She'd have to do something about those rain gutters tomorrow.


	7. Falling

Unconscious Fears

By: Alyson Tierney

Disclaimer: I do not own Lorelai or Rory Gilmore, or any other character associated with Gilmore Girls the way it is seen on television. Those characters and other related things and ideas belong to Amy Sherman-Palladino and the WB Network. However, Alicia and Arielle's characters are figments of my own imagination, so I do own them. Please do not use them without my permission. Thank you.

Author's Note: This story is the sequel to my story "Arielle." Everything that has happened up to the Gilmore Girls episode "Not as Cute as Pushkin" is consistent with this story, but after that, it takes its own path, so relationships and other facts may be different than on the show. I am not a dream doctor, or a medical doctor, nor do I know anything about dreams or medicine, so if the information is way off, please don't shout at me.

Thank you to those who have been reviewing! I'm glad to see some familiar faces as well as some new ones. It's each and every one of yours' feedback, comments, likes, and dislikes that helps this story—especially those of you who can guess what's going to happen next. Damn, that was scary. Enjoy and please review if you wish!

CHAPTER SEVEN

The images were going through her head again. Her mother's body was limp and cold, lying in a casket. Everyone around her was crying—her grandparents, Sookie, Lane, Alicia, and Luke. She didn't cry, though. She could barely move. She watched as the pallbearers closed her mother's casket, pounding each nail in place. Choking back sobs, she rubbed her temples. The noise was getting louder and louder. Rory was sure she was dreaming, yet, she couldn't force herself to wake up. _Come on. Wake up. This is all a dream. I know it is. Wake up!_

Rory awoke with a start, her pounding headache aggravated by the pounding noise outside. She groaned, stumbling out of bed. She slipped into some comfy sweats, and slowly walked out to the kitchen. Unbelievably, the noise was even louder there. Yawning, she downed a few Ibuprofens before wandering outside, "Mom!"

Lorelai stopped pounding on the rain gutter, "What?" She looked down at her daughter, looking completely refreshed and alert, wearing jeans and a comfy long-sleeved shirt.

"The pounding? Headache?" Rory said, grumpily, squinting as she looked up at her mom. The sun was streaming through the trees, making her headache even worse.

"Well, the rain gutters have to be cleaned sometime." Lorelai shot back. She seemed to be deliberately pounding the gutter with the trowel, hitting it harder than she should have to.

"Clean them later!" Rory whined, putting her hands on her hips.

"I'd rather do them now, so I can get some other things done later. Like the laundry for example." Lorelai said, turning away from her daughter and back to the task at hand.

"Fine!" Rory snapped, turning on her heel and storming into the house. Lorelai sighed, she knew herself how painful hangovers could be, but part of her wanted Rory to see the downside of drinking so much.

Rory stormed back into the kitchen, opening and closing the refrigerator for some cheese singles, and grabbing a box of macaroni from the cabinet. She filled a bowl with water and some macaroni and popped it into the microwave. She had discovered macaroni and cheese did wonders for hangovers. She quickly mixed the cheese into the macaroni, and sat down at the table to enjoy her meal. The pounding overhead suddenly stopped, and she smiled, her mom must be finished with the roof.

Finishing her macaroni, she poured a cup of coffee, heading outside again. She'd just offer her mom some coffee as a peace offering, "Mom?" she called out, starting down the stairs. She noticed the ladder was on the ground, and thought her mom may have gone into the garage to put the tools away, "Mom!" Rory called again, coming closer, so the bushes that were now blocking her view of part of the ladder were out of the way. She froze at that instant. Her body just stopped as she stared, the mug of coffee falling to the ground and shattering, coffee flying everywhere. Lorelai was lying spread-eagled on the ground, the ladder on top of her. Rory pinched herself to make sure she wasn't dreaming. It hurt, she was wide awake. Lorelai wasn't moving.

Rory's muscles finally reacted, "Mom!" she screamed, rushing forward. She pushed the ladder off her mother, almost as if it was a feather, and kneeled down next to her, "Mom!" She felt for a pulse, and felt a small wave of relief when she found one, "Mommy?" Rory said in a quiet voice.

_Help, I need to get help. _Rory's mind raced as she rushed inside, grabbing the phone out of its cradle. With shaky hands she dialed 911, hoping that no one else was having an emergency at the moment, because Stars Hollow only had two ambulances.

"Stars Hollow Emergency Room, what is the nature of your emergency?" a woman's voice asked.

"My mom. She fell…or something, she's hurt. I need help." Rory's voice quivered slightly.

"What's your mom's name?" The woman sounded very calm as she asked. Rory realized that she probably got a lot of these panicked calls a day.

"Lorelai Gilmore." Rory said.

"This is Rory?" the woman asked, after a short pause.

"Yeah." Rory answered in a small voice.

"Okay, Rory, I'm going to dispatch an ambulance to your house, I have the address right on the computer. Can you tell me if your mom is breathing or if she's bleeding anywhere?" the woman's voice asked.

"She's breathing." Rory said yanking a blanket from the back of the couch, and rushing outside with it. She checked for blood, and not finding any, told the woman so.

"Okay, that's good, Rory. Did you cover her with a blanket or something else warm?" the voice asked next.

"Yeah. I just did." Rory said, tucking the blanket around her mom. She was afraid to touch her, for fear of paralyzing her or breaking something. She began stroking her mother's hand gently, as she heard the wail of ambulance sirens, coming closer and closer by the second.

"Good. Can you hear the sirens?" The woman asked next.

"Yeah." Rory said.

"Okay, good. Just sit tight until they come. Are you outside? Where did she fall from?" The woman was clearly just trying to keep Rory's mind busy, keep her from panicking.

"She fell from the roof. She was cleaning the rain gutters, and I went inside, and when I came back out, she was on the ground." Rory said in a shaky voice, as the ambulance pulled into their driveway. She noticed Babette and Morey out of the corner of her eye, as the paramedics rushed over to help, "They're here. I've got to go." Rory said, and she beeped the phone off.


	8. Forgot the Macaroni

Unconscious Fears

By: Alyson Tierney

Disclaimer: I do not own Lorelai or Rory Gilmore, or any other character associated with Gilmore Girls the way it is seen on television. Those characters and other related things and ideas belong to Amy Sherman-Palladino and the WB Network. However, Alicia and Arielle's characters are figments of my own imagination, so I do own them. Please do not use them without my permission. Thank you.

Author's Note: This story is the sequel to my story "Arielle." Everything that has happened up to the Gilmore Girls episode "Not as Cute as Pushkin" is consistent with this story, but after that, it takes its own path, so relationships and other facts may be different than on the show. I am not a dream doctor, or a medical doctor, nor do I know anything about dreams or medicine, so if the information is way off, please don't shout at me.

Thank you to those who have been reviewing! I'm glad to see some familiar faces as well as some new ones. It's each and every one of yours' feedback, comments, likes, and dislikes that helps this story.. Enjoy and please review if you wish!

CHAPTER EIGHT

Rory hurried alongside the gurney as the paramedics wheeled her mom inside the emergency room entrance. The ambulance ride was short, but it seemed like an eternity for Rory. The paramedics had told her that since her mom was breathing and her blood pressure and pulse were normal, that it was a good sign. She was still completely terrified.

She barely noticed the paramedics reciting her mom's vitals to the doctors, who took over. They hurried into what Rory assumed from watching so much ER was one of the trauma rooms. The doctors were flashing by in a flurry of activity, calling out medical jargon left and right.

"Rory?" she heard a familiar voice call out. She looked up into the friendly face of Dr. Julia Lockham. Rory and Lorelai had met her a few times before, when they'd visited the hospital for broken bones, and once when Lorelai's appendix had burst.

"Dr. Lockham." Rory flashed a small smile, "You're here."

"Of course I am. I heard that my favorite patients were coming." Dr. Lockham adjusted one of the knobs on a piece of equipment, and went to Rory's side, "Can you tell me what happened?"

"She fell. She was outside cleaning the rain gutters, and I was outside, too, but I came back inside to get the…oh, my god, I left my macaroni bowl on the counter. I didn't clean it. Now the cheese is going to be all stuck to the bowl." Rory's mind was going a mile a minute as she remembered.

"Rory. It's okay." Dr. Lockham's gentle voice broke through her reverie, "So she fell from the roof, then?"

Rory nodded, miserably, "Yeah. Is she…will she be okay?"

"We're going to send her upstairs for a head CT, and then we'll know more." Dr. Lockham smiled supportively, "Do you want to go upstairs with us? You and I can wait outside the room while they work."

Rory gave the doctor a slight nod, "Okay. Will…will she be scared?"

"There's nothing to be afraid of. She'll be fine." Dr. Lockham smiled and squeezed Rory's shoulder supportively. Rory was glad she was there. She felt just the tiniest bit better knowing the familiar face was working with her mom. She watched for a few moments, glad that the doctors hadn't kicked her out of the room. A lot of larger hospitals did that, but Dr. Lockham and the others clearly knew the Gilmore girls well enough to know that Rory would want to be as close to her mom as possible.

The doctors seemed to slow their flurry of activity a few minutes later, loading the equipment on the bed and wheeling Lorelai out of the trauma room. Rory caught a glimpse of her face. Lorelai was pale and her eyes were closed. Rory felt her heart clench and skip a few beats. Biting back the tears that threatened to come, she followed Dr. Lockham as she gestured to Rory. She wasn't going to cry now, now she needed to be strong for Lorelai. She walked alongside the bed, her hand on Lorelai's, all the way up the elevator to the CT floor.

When they reached the room, Rory leaned down and kissed Lorelai's forehead lightly, "I love you." She whispered, watching as they took Lorelai into the room.

Dr. Lockham let Rory stand there for a few moments before speaking, "Rory?"

Rory didn't look at her, instead just watched the goings-on in the room, through the small window in the door. She wanted to stay as close to her mom as possible, almost as though she would get better faster the closer Rory was to her.

"Rory." Dr. Lockham called again, "Do you want to sit?"

Rory shook her head, her gaze not leaving the window, "No. I'm staying here."

Dr. Lockham nodded understandingly, "Do you want some coffee?"

Rory shook her head again. All she really wanted right now was her mom. It was like her dreams had invaded real life now, "What's a head CT, anyway?" Rory asked suddenly, looking up into the doctor's green eyes.

"It's a picture of your mom's head. It'll let us check and see what her brain is doing. They use that machine that you see there to take a bunch of pictures and let us see what's going on in that head of hers. It's not at all painful." Dr. Lockham said, pointing into the room.

"What happens if something that's not supposed to go on in her head is going on in her head?" Rory asked.

"Then the other doctors and I will discuss the next step, and make sure you're on board with what's happening." Dr. Lockham said, smiling reassuringly.

Rory nodded, "Okay." She was terrified to ask what exactly could go wrong. She'd heard stories of people being permanently brain damaged, never walking or talking again. She shuddered quietly, wrapping her arms around herself.

"Dr. Lockham?" A doctor's voice called out from inside the room.

"Excuse me a moment, Rory." Dr. Lockham smiled at her, heading into the room. Rory watched as the doctors talked animatedly, gesturing to the computer. She could see her mom's form through the glass. She couldn't see her face, though, but she was there. She felt a pang of guilt as she remembered their snippy words to each other this morning. She noticed the doctors looking at her, concerned, and her heart sank. Was something wrong?

Dr. Lockham exited the room, and came to Rory's side, "Rory?" She said, her tone soft and concerned.

"What's wrong?" Rory said, her senses immediately on high alert. She backed up a few paces, tightening her arms around herself.

"When your mom fell, she got some bruising inside her head. It caused some bleeding…" Dr. Lockham said, gently.

"No…" Rory said, her voice quivering.

"Honey, we need to operate to stop it." Dr. Lockham said, her voice soft but firm.

Rory gasped softly, "Operate?"

"We'll put a small tube in to drain the blood. We've done this many times here." Dr. Lockham said, reassuringly, "She'll be asleep."

Rory nodded, "And if you don't, she'd…"

Dr. Lockham nodded slightly, "She'd never wake up. We need your consent to do it."

Rory remembered a conversation she and Lorelai had a few years back, about Lorelai not wanting to be a permanent vegetable. She knew what needed to be done, "Okay. Do it."

"Okay. This is a paper simply saying that its okay for us to operate on your mom, and do everything we can to make sure she gets out of the operating room successfully." Dr. Lockham said, handing Rory a clipboard, "Just sign it on the bottom."

Rory's fingers trembled as she signed the paper. She handed it back to Dr. Lockham, and watched as the doctors wheeled her mom out of the CT room. She rested her hand on her mother's head, feeling how warm she was. She then jerked back, remembering that it was her head that was hurt. She began stroking her mom's shoulder, giving her mom her own strength.

Rory barely registered the hospital hallways going by, as they trooped into an elevator, back out of the elevator, and down another hall. "Rory?" Dr. Lockham's voice brought Rory back to reality, "You can't go in the pre-op room, but you and I can wait outside, okay?"

Rory nodded, "Okay." Leaning down, she kissed her mother, whispering in her ear, "Stay strong. I need you." Rory watched as they wheeled the most important person in her life away, into the throngs of all the medical equipment in the world.

She felt herself being pulled away by Dr. Lockham. Crossing her arms, she sat down in a chair across the hallway from the operating rooms. She felt tears sting the back of her eyelids, but she choked them back. She wasn't going to cry now. Lorelai needed her to be strong now more than anything.


	9. Ticking Seconds

Unconscious Fears

By: Alyson Tierney

Disclaimer: I do not own Lorelai or Rory Gilmore, or any other character associated with Gilmore Girls the way it is seen on television. Those characters and other related things and ideas belong to Amy Sherman-Palladino and the WB Network. However, Alicia and Arielle's characters are figments of my own imagination, so I do own them. Please do not use them without my permission. Thank you.

Author's Note: This story is the sequel to my story "Arielle." Everything that has happened up to the Gilmore Girls episode "Not as Cute as Pushkin" is consistent with this story, but after that, it takes its own path, so relationships and other facts may be different than on the show. I am not a dream doctor, or a medical doctor, nor do I know anything about dreams or medicine, so if the information is way off, please don't shout at me.

Thank you to those who have been reviewing! I'm glad to see some familiar faces as well as some new ones. It's each and every one of yours' feedback, comments, likes, and dislikes that helps this story. Enjoy and please review if you wish!

CHAPTER NINE

Rory sat in the chair, moving every which way. She looked at her watch, which now read just after one in the afternoon. It seemed so long ago that her mom had fallen, but it had just been a couple hours. Dr. Lockham sat next to her, stirring her coffee. Rory had gotten one, too, but never touched it.

"Rory?" Dr. Lockham asked, suddenly. Rory looked up, a pained expression on her face. "Do you want me to call anyone? Your grandparents?"

"Grandma and Grandpa. We should call them. No! They're not here! They're out of town. They went to…what was that place called? I can't remember where they went…" Rory turned towards the doctor, panicked; she wasn't sure how to handle this.

"It's okay, Rory. Let's just figure out how to get someone here, okay? Is there anyone else? A close friend of yours? Of Lorelai's?" Dr. Lockham asked, her hand on Rory's shoulder to calm her.

"Luke! I should call Luke!" Rory patted her pockets, "I don't have my cell phone!"

"Rory, calm, honey. I'll call Luke for you. Is that Luke Danes, from the diner?" Dr. Lockham asked. Rory nodded, rubbing her arms in effort to calm herself. The doctor crossed the row of chairs and grabbed the physicians' phone off the wall. She dialed the number, not even asking Rory for it, and listening for the ring, "I order from Luke's sometimes for my husband, daughter, and myself." She explained, "Hi! Is Luke Danes there please?" she asked.

Rory listened as the doctor talked. It sounded as if she was having trouble getting a hold of Luke. Rory assumed she was talking to Caesar, the chef at the diner. He could be incredibly uncooperative at times. Rory looked up when the doctor hung up, "He isn't in right now, but Caesar said he'd give him the message to call here."

Rory rubbed her eyes and sighed. All of the available "grown-ups" to call weren't there. There was only one thing to do, "I've gotta call Lane and Alicia…"

"Your friends?" Dr. Lockham asked, "You can use the phone at the desk."

Rory nodded, "Thanks." She got up, and breathed a few times to steel herself. She hated being alone, but the last thing she wanted to do was burst into tears and beg her friends to come to her rescue.

She picked up the phone, carefully dialing Lane's cell number. The phone rang once, twice, three times before Lane's sleepy voice answered, "Hello?"

"Lane?" Rory said, her voice immediately shaky.

"Rory? What's wrong? Are you okay?" Lane asked, her best friend sense immediately on alert.

"My mom. She had an accident. We're at the hospital." Rory said, trying to hold back tears.

"Oh, my God! Is she okay?" Lane questioned, her voice suddenly wide awake and frantic.

"I don't know. I can't get a hold of Luke, and Grandma and Grandpa are out of town. I just…I don't know what to do." Rory said, a tear dripping down her face. She brushed at her face, trying to stop the tears that were coming.

"I'm on my way." Lane said, her voice firm. Rory could hear her moving about her room.

"You don't have to…" Rory protested, but stopped as Lane interrupted her.

"I'm coming. Don't move." Lane insisted, in a voice that Rory had never heard before. She then realized she and Lane had never been thrown in a situation like this before, they'd always had Lorelai there to help them. She hung up the phone, walking numbly back to the chair. She detested that chair. All hard and cold and uncomfortable, yet she sat in it. She buried her head in her hands, trying desperately to hold back tears. She felt Dr. Lockham's hand on her knee, and looked up. The doctor gave her a supportive smile, but didn't say anything. She knew Rory well enough to know that all the comforting words in the world weren't going to make things one bit better.

She hadn't been sitting there for more than ten minutes when she heard her name called out. Looking up, she saw Lane, Alicia, and a very pregnant Sookie rushing towards her. She stood, confusion on her face. What were they doing here? Shouldn't Sookie be at home resting? She was due in a month now. Lane reached her first and grabbed her friend in a tight hug. She pulled back, and looked Rory in the eye, "Are you okay? What happened?"

Rory felt tears begin their descent down her face, "She…she fell. From the roof. And…now, there's blood in her brain." Rory squeezed her eyes shut, trying to keep the cascade of tears at bay, but they kept coming. Lane pulled her close, squeezing her friend to her.

Dr. Lockham stood and extended her hand to Sookie, "Hi, I'm Dr. Lockham, I treated Lorelai in the emergency room."

Sookie smiled faintly, "Hi, doctor. I'm Sookie St. James, Lorelai's best friend. How is she?"

Dr. Lockham looked at Rory, who nodded, "It's okay. She's family to us."

"Lorelai suffered what we call a subdural hematoma. Simply, it's when a blood vessel breaks in between the skull and the brain. The surgeons are working on her now, trying to stop the bleeding and relieve the pressure." Dr. Lockham explained. Rory felt Lane's arms tighten around her waist.

"How long will it be?" Alicia asked, standing close to Rory. She placed a comforting hand on Rory's shoulder.

"It shouldn't be too much longer. They want to do a good job, though, so they don't rush." Dr. Lockham said.

Rory nodded shakily, "Yeah." She crossed her arms over her chest, a move that both Lane and Alicia knew well. She was pulling away until she could see her mom.

Dr. Lockham's beeper went off then, and she sighed, "It's the ER. Rory, will you be okay for a little while?"

Rory smiled. She was glad the familiar doctor had waited with her as long as she could, "Yeah. I've got these guys."

Dr. Lockham smiled reassuringly, "I'll be back in a little while to check on her. I'll go let Dr. Grant know. She's the chief surgeon."

Rory nodded, as the doctor reached out and squeezed her shoulder. As she walked off, Rory collapsed back into the chair, her face in her hands. She could feel the chairs next to her move as Lane and Alicia sat on either side of her. She looked up suddenly, "Arielle? Where is she?"

"She's with Jackson. He was in the kitchen talking to Sookie when I got the call at the inn." Alicia explained. Rory breathed a sigh. She twisted her hands in her lap, looking down at them nervously. Looking up at the clock, she realized her mom had now been in the operating room for 56 minutes. She'd timed them.

She realized that Lane and Alicia were each rubbing the muscles in her shoulders. Alicia had the left and was going in a circular motion along the edges of her shoulder blade. Lane was on the right and was using an up-and-down motion, smoothing half her back and then coming up to cup her shoulder. Rory looked back at the clock, watching as it ticked away at the seconds.

Finally, a woman came out of the operating room. She was wearing green surgical scrubs and a cap. Rory watched as she approached them, extending her hand out to Sookie, "Hi, I'm Dr. Grant. You must be Lorelai Gilmore's family."

"Yes. Well, this is her daughter, Rory. The rest of us are really close friends of her and her mom." Sookie explained.

"Hi, Rory. I'm Dr. Grant, I operated on your mom." The doctor let no emotion show on her face, which left Rory terrified.

"How…how's my mom?" Rory asked, completely dreading the answer. She'd never wished she could rewind time as much as she wished it now.


	10. Come Back to Me

Unconscious Fears

By: Alyson Tierney

Disclaimer: I do not own Lorelai or Rory Gilmore, or any other character associated with Gilmore Girls the way it is seen on television. Those characters and other related things and ideas belong to Amy Sherman-Palladino and the WB Network. However, Alicia and Arielle's characters are figments of my own imagination, so I do own them. Please do not use them without my permission. Thank you.

Author's Note: This story is the sequel to my story "Arielle." Everything that has happened up to the Gilmore Girls episode "Not as Cute as Pushkin" is consistent with this story, but after that, it takes its own path, so relationships and other facts may be different than on the show. I am not a dream doctor, or a medical doctor, nor do I know anything about dreams or medicine, so if the information is way off, please don't shout at me.

I know a lot of you have been anxious for this chapter! I hope you like it! I've finished the entire story already, but I'm finding that a lot of your suggestions are helping make a few changes in future chapters. It's each and every one of yours' feedback, comments, likes, and dislikes that helps this story. Thank you! Enjoy and please review if you wish!

CHAPTER TEN

"…we'll have to watch her closely for awhile, but your mom came through the surgery just fine." Dr. Grant finished, as the pounding noise in Rory's ears began to cease.

"She's okay?" Rory asked, in a hopeful voice.

"She isn't completely out of the woods, but we were able to patch up the bleeding in her skull. She's in recovery right now, and her prognosis is good." Dr. Grant said, smiling reassuringly.

Rory felt an immense sense of relief, "So, she'll wake up?"

"It's likely. Most patients with your mother's type of injury are up within a few hours to a few days." Dr. Grant said, "We're going to move her to a new room soon, so if you wait here, I can have a nurse get you when she's ready to go upstairs."

Rory nodded, "Okay. Thank you, doctor."

Dr. Grant smiled at everyone, and then headed back through the doors she'd come from. Rory turned, letting Lane, Alicia, and Sookie engulf her in hugs, "It'll be okay. You'll see." Sookie said, smiling and rubbing Rory's arm to comfort her.

Rory nodded, "I hope so." She breathed a shaky sigh, twisting her hands together.

"Rory? Sookie? What is going on?" Luke's frantic voice asked, as he rushed towards the group.

"Luke?" Rory asked, confused. Then she remembered Dr. Lockham calling him earlier. He must have gotten Caesar's message.

"Lorelai was in an accident. She took a bad fall off her roof." Sookie explained.

"The roof? I told her to stay off of there, and I'd take care of it on Monday!" Luke said, fuming, "Is she okay?"

"She had surgery to fix broken vessels in her brain. She's in the recovery room, but will go upstairs soon. The doctor says she has a good chance of recovery." Sookie clarified, raising her arms to gesture for him to calm down.

Luke breathed a sigh of relief, "Okay. Good." He put his hands on his head and sat down, trying to catch his breath. Looking up, he caught Rory's eyes, "Are you okay? Are you hurt?"

Rory shook her head, "No, I'm not hurt." She felt tears sting the back of her eyelids. No, she wasn't hurt, but she wouldn't be okay until she could see her mom and talk to her. She wanted Lorelai to pull her into her arms and tell Rory everything was okay.

"Rory Gilmore?" A new voice asked. Rory looked up to see a redheaded woman walking towards her. She had a nurse's uniform on, and was smiling.

"Yeah?" Rory asked, rushing forward. Luke, Sookie, Lane, and Alicia stood in a line behind her, forming a chain of support.

"I'm Nurse Fridley. I'm going to take your mom upstairs now. If you'd like, you can come with us in the elevator." Nurse Fridley offered.

Rory nodded, "Okay. Did you page Dr. Lockham?" she asked.

The nurse smiled and nodded, "We did. She's finishing with a patient in the ER, and she'll be right up. You and one other person can come with me, we're using the surgical transport elevator. The rest of you can use the main one. Go up to the fifth floor and let the desk know who you are."

Lane immediately slipped her hand into Rory's and squeezed it reassuringly. She said nothing, but the look in her eyes said it so simply, Lane was here for her always.

Luke nodded, and put his hands on Sookie's and Alicia's backs, "We'll be waiting for you upstairs."

Rory swallowed, as she and Lane followed the nurse down the hallway and through a door. A doctor and two nurses were pushing a bed towards the door. Lorelai's very still form lay on the bed. She looked surprisingly pink compared to how pale she had looked earlier. There was a bandage on her forehead, but otherwise she still simply looked asleep. Rory's throat constricted as she approached the bed, and followed the medical personnel into the elevator, Lane at her side.

"Lorelai's daughter?" A nurse asked her, smiling. Rory nodded, looking down at her mom. Lorelai looked so peaceful, like she was just taking a quick nap. Rory had often come home late from a date or hanging out with Lane and Alicia, and her mom would be asleep on the couch, the look on her face matching the one right now.

"I can see the resemblance. You're both beautiful." The nurse said. Rory blushed at the comment. She reached out towards her mom's face. She'd almost expected a respirator or another machine to be breathing for her mom, but the only medical devices she could see were a tiny IV line attached to her mom's hand, and a box with some sort of wire attached to it. The wire snaked down to the bed and disappeared behind the back of Lorelai's pillow.

"Is that her heart?" Rory asked.

"Those are her brain waves." The doctor piped up from the corner, "It's called an EEG, which measures brain activity quickly and painlessly."

Lane scrutinized the machine, "That is sort of cool. It looks all busy like your mom's brain has to be. Must be all that coffee she drinks."

Rory managed a short laugh, "Yeah. She does drink too much. Now we've got pictures to prove it."

The elevator doors opened then. Rory and Lane followed as the others pushed the gurney down the hall and into a small room. They quickly set her up, and then the doctor and one of the nurses left. The nurse who'd spoken to Rory in the elevator stayed, bustling around the room, checking wires and equipment. "I'm Nurse Sayde. I'm just going to get her settled and then you can stay with her until Dr. Lockham comes." Nurse Sayde explained.

Lane pulled a chair up next to the bed, and gently pushed her best friend into it. Rory sighed, grateful for the support for her legs. She felt like she'd been standing for hours. She felt the tears threaten to fall again, as she took her mom's hand gently, "Mommy. I'm here. I'm here, and I won't leave."

She felt Lane's hands on her shoulders, trying to massage the tension away. She was so glad her best friend was there, "Can Luke, Sookie, and Alicia come in?" she asked Nurse Sayde. She was surprised at how young the nurse looked. She had golden brown hair in a braid, green sparkling eyes, and couldn't be more than a few years out of nursing school.

"That's your friends?" Nurse Sayde asked. Rory nodded faintly, and the nurse smiled supportively, "I'd wait until Dr. Lockham comes and see what she says. But—what's your name?" she asked, directing the question at Lane.

"Lane. Lane Kim." Lane answered.

"Lane can stay with you until the doctor comes. She'll be here in a few minutes, but if you need someone, the nurses' call button is right on the table." Nurse Sayde said, waiting for Rory to nod. She smiled and stopped for a moment, "She looks good."

Rory smiled, grateful for the reassurance, even though nothing was going to help unless her mom woke up. She watched the nurse leave, as Lane pulled up another chair next to Rory's. Rory sighed deeply, taking the biggest breath she'd taken since arriving. Tears kept threatening to spill over, but Rory was determined not to let them. She turned back to Lorelai, pulling her mom's hand to her lips. She kissed each finger softly, willing her touch and warmth to her mom, "I love you. Come back to me."


	11. Open your Eyes

Unconscious Fears

By: Alyson Tierney

Disclaimer: I do not own Lorelai or Rory Gilmore, or any other character associated with Gilmore Girls the way it is seen on television. Those characters and other related things and ideas belong to Amy Sherman-Palladino and the WB Network. However, Alicia and Arielle's characters are figments of my own imagination, so I do own them. Please do not use them without my permission. Thank you.

Author's Note: This story is the sequel to my story "Arielle." Everything that has happened up to the Gilmore Girls episode "Not as Cute as Pushkin" is consistent with this story, but after that, it takes its own path, so relationships and other facts may be different than on the show. I am not a dream doctor, or a medical doctor, nor do I know anything about dreams or medicine, so if the information is way off, please don't shout at me.

I hope you like this chapter! I've finished the entire story already, but I'm finding that a lot of your suggestions are helping make a few changes in future chapters. It's each and every one of yours' feedback, comments, likes, and dislikes that helps this story. Thank you! Enjoy and please review if you wish!

CHAPTER ELEVEN

Dr. Lockham opened the door and walked in not five minutes later. Lane was running her hands through Rory's hair, trying to send some comfort to her best friend. Rory still watched her mom, whispering words of affection to her. She looked up when the doctor entered the room, followed by another doctor, with dark blonde hair. She smiled, glad to see the familiar doctor. She'd seen so many unfamiliar medical personnel today.

"Rory?" Dr. Lockham said, smiling, "This is Dr. Magnant. She's head doctor on this floor, and she's one of my close friends."

"Hi, Dr. Magnant. This is my best friend, Lane." Rory said. Dr. Magnant smiled, and extended her hand to shake Rory's and Lane's in turn.

"It's nice to meet you two. How's Lorelai doing?" Dr. Magnant asked.

Rory looked a little confused. Wasn't she supposed to tell Rory that? She noticed that Dr. Lockham was smiling, though, so she smiled and answered, "I think she seems better. Her color is better and she just looks like she's asleep."

Dr. Magnant smiled, "From what I understand, the surgeons did a great job on her. We're just going to keep her here and monitor her progress. You see the machine over there?"

Rory nodded, "Yeah, the other doctor said it's a…E…something."

"An EEG machine. It tells us how her brain is responding. I watched it while you were talking and the waves moved differently than they are now." Dr. Magnant explained.

"She can hear me?" Rory said, hopefully.

"I think she can. Many patients who have injuries like this will respond to a loved one's voice. It's one of the things we look at while we evaluate someone's condition." Dr. Magnant informed her.

"Will she wake up?" Rory asked. While she knew many people woke up after falling off roofs, she still knew there were some people that didn't.

"Most patients with this type of injury will wake up within the first hours to days." Dr. Magnant said. Rory could tell she was choosing her words carefully. Rory just nodded, letting her thumbs stroke the back of her mom's hand.

"Can Sookie, Luke, and Alicia come in now?" Lane asked, knowing Rory would want them here for her too.

Dr. Magnant looked at the other doctor, and Dr. Lockham nodded, "That would be Lorelai's boyfriend, best friend, and Rory's other best friend."

Dr. Magnant looked a little hesitant, "I wouldn't want to crowd everyone in here at once, but if they wanted to come in one by one to sit with Rory, sure."

Rory smiled, happy that everyone would get a chance to come in and sit with them. She was also glad that Dr. Magnant never once implied that Rory would leave the room. She wasn't going to. She was not leaving her mom's side until she woke up.

People came and went throughout the rest of the day. Alicia came in first, trying her best to cheer Rory up, until Jackson called and said that Arielle was cranky and kept asking for her mama. Luke came in for a little while, and Rory felt her heart clench as she watched him talk to her mom. It was obvious that he loved her so much. Lane sat with her for a little while, the two of them poring over magazines, reading the stories to Lorelai. Finally, Lane and Luke left, and Sookie remained with Rory and Lorelai. She was going to stay for awhile, and offered to get Rory some dinner, so Rory wouldn't have to leave Lorelai's side.

Rory looked at her watch. Sookie had been gone about ten minutes, and knew she'd be back fairly soon. She reached out with her free hand, smoothing her mom's hair back. She was careful not to disturb the bandage on her temple. She knew that's where they'd gone in to control the bleeding. She traced the outline of her mom's face with a finger, watching as the line on the EEG machine bounced around rapidly. Her mom was responding to her touch as well. Dr. Magnant said that was a good thing, and Rory agreed. She brushed Lorelai's hair behind her ears, her fingers brushing the electrodes attached to her mom's scalp. She'd noticed them earlier, but the doctor had reassured Rory that they weren't hurting her mom at all, it was just like having a band-aid that could measure brain activity. Rory liked that analogy. She leaned down, her face close to her mom's ear, and whispered, "I'm here. I won't leave you. Please come back."

She blinked as the tears began to fall, "Please come back. I'm sorry. I'm sorry, please wake up. Please, I need you." She wiped the tears away that threatened to overcome her.

"Ace?" She looked up as she heard the familiar voice.

Breaking into a grin, she wiped the remaining tears, "Logan? What are you doing here?"

"I heard that there was a damsel in distress." Logan said, coming into the room. He knelt and captured Rory into a long hug, Rory never letting go of her mom's hand.

"You're here. I'm so glad you came." Rory said, breathing a sigh, "I didn't know if you knew."

"Well, one of your friends has a big mouth." Logan said, smiling as he pulled back.

Rory chuckled, "Only one of them?"

"How is she?" Logan asked.

Rory looked down at the figure on the bed, "The doctors say she could wake up at any time."

Logan nodded, "That's good. She just needs her rest. It must be exhausting keeping up with you."

"Hey!" Rory said, pouting playfully.

"She'll be fine." Logan said, looking Rory in the eye, "Can I get you anything?"

Rory shook her head, "Sookie will be back soon with dinner."

"Okay, good. You need some food in you." Logan said, rubbing her arm comfortingly. Rory shivered, looking down at her mom, willing her to wake up.

She was glad that Logan had come, but soon she sent him home. Sookie came back with dinner, and then left to go home to check on Davey. She'd come back later that night, and spend the night in the family room. Rory wasn't going to go sleep in the family room. Lorelai was the most important person in the world to her, and she wasn't going to leave her alone.

"Mom…please come back to me." Rory whispered, her voice shaky, "Please wake up, I need you."

Rory thought she was imagining things when Lorelai squeezed her hand. She blinked a few times, "Mom?" Lorelai squeezed her hand again, stronger this time. Her tongue moved slowly in and out of her mouth, moistening her lips, as she struggled to open her eyes, "Mommy, open your eyes."

Lorelai could hear Rory's voice as she opened her eyes. She could only get them open a tiny crack, but it made it all worth it as she focused on her daughter's face. She smiled, not knowing what happened, but knowing that Rory was here, and that's all that mattered, "Babe."

Rory's eyes filled with tears as she smiled hopefully, "Mommy?"

"Hi, babe." Lorelai said, her voice sleepy.


	12. Chocolate

Unconscious Fears

By: Alyson Tierney

Disclaimer: I do not own Lorelai or Rory Gilmore, or any other character associated with Gilmore Girls the way it is seen on television. Those characters and other related things and ideas belong to Amy Sherman-Palladino and the WB Network. However, Alicia and Arielle's characters are figments of my own imagination, so I do own them. Please do not use them without my permission. Thank you.

Author's Note: This story is the sequel to my story "Arielle." Everything that has happened up to the Gilmore Girls episode "Not as Cute as Pushkin" is consistent with this story, but after that, it takes its own path, so relationships and other facts may be different than on the show. I am not a dream doctor, or a medical doctor, nor do I know anything about dreams or medicine, so if the information is way off, please don't shout at me.

I hope you like this chapter! I've finished the entire story already, but I'm finding that a lot of your suggestions are helping make a few changes in future chapters. It's each and every one of yours' feedback, comments, likes, and dislikes that helps this story. Thank you! Enjoy and please review if you wish!

CHAPTER TWELVE

"You're awake." Rory said, her voice soft and full of a mixture of hope and fear. She squeezed her mom's hand tightly, trying to be brave.

"Of course. Sleeping Beauty woke up eventually." Lorelai said, reaching out to cup Rory's face.

Rory placed a hand on her mom's, and then reached out to press the call button, "I'm going to get Dr. Magnant."

Lorelai breathed a deep sigh, "Dr. Magnant? Cute?"

Rory giggled, "Only if you're a lesbian."

Lorelai furrowed her brow, "I don't know if Luke would like that."

Rory smiled, "Nah, he's partial to straight women, I think." Dr. Magnant strode into the room then, and Rory looked up, "She's awake!" she announced.

Dr. Magnant smiled, "I see that. How are you doing, Lorelai?"

"It's a bit floaty, but I got a nap, so things are looking up." Lorelai said, putting a smile on.

Dr. Magnant chuckled, "Well, the floaty feeling is just the painkillers working. Let me just do a neural check, okay? Can you squeeze my hand? Good, now push down on my hand with your foot, like you're pushing down on the gas pedal. Now the other foot. Good."

"Is she okay?" Rory asked, her voice hopeful. She felt her mom squeeze her hand reassuringly.

"Her motor functions are intact, and the EEG looks fairly normal. I say we'll keep an eye on her for a couple days, a head injury and surgery like this needs constant monitoring in the first days, but she looks good to me." Dr. Magnant said.

Lorelai breathed in a sleepy sigh, "Surgery?"

"We had to make a small incision in your skull and drain a buildup of fluid between your skull and your brain." Dr. Magnant explained.

Lorelai nodded sleepily, keeping the fear out of her voice, "It's all good now?"

"I am very optimistic at this point. The surgery went well. Do you remember what happened?" Dr. Magnant asked.

"I remember…I had to clean the gutters. Rory came out…she was mad at me. She went back inside, and I remember tumbling…but after that, it's all a little fuzzy." Lorelai said, her brow crinkled, "Did I fall off?"

"Yeah. You did." Rory said, in a small voice.

Lorelai focused on her daughter, "Hey…babe. Mommy's falling asleep, and you look exhausted. What do you say, we have a nap?"

Dr. Magnant smiled, "You two rest up. I'll be back later to check on you, and I'll let Sookie know."

"Thanks, Dr. Magnant." Lorelai felt herself being drawn slowly back into dreamland. She'd been fighting it for the past two minutes. "Come here, baby." Lorelai said, her arms open.

"I was so scared." Rory's voice quivered, tears slowly slipping down her cheeks. She crawled carefully onto the bed, laying her head down on her mother's chest.

"I know, baby. Go to sleep. I'm here now." Lorelai's voice was no more than a whisper, as she held her daughter close. Kissing the top of her head, she let herself slowly be pulled back into sleep. Rory was right there besides her, and that's how Sookie found them an hour later. She smiled, backing out of the room quietly. She positioned herself in a chair across the hallway, not wanting to disturb mother and daughter as they slept.

Lorelai found herself awake again. She'd been drifting in and out of sleep all night, but was fully aware of when she was awake. That had to be a good sign. Her head felt like it was stuffed full of big, balloon-like marshmallows, and her mouth had the distinct feeling of a mouth full of cotton fibers. She was in no pain, which was probably a good thing, considering what a weeble she was when she was in pain. She didn't want to scare Rory any more than she already had—which was a lot. Lorelai tilted her head to look down at her daughter. Rory was sleeping peacefully, curled around her mom. She looked relaxed, and Lorelai was glad. She felt so bad for scaring her baby girl, even though she didn't exactly plan to fall off the roof. She didn't even remember how she fell off the roof.

Lorelai ran her fingers through her daughter's curly brown hair. She glanced over at the window then, and noticed rays of morning light showing through the curtains. They shined over her daughter's head, turning the brown locks a deep gold color. She smiled, continuing to smooth her hand over her daughter's head, "I love you, baby."

Rory stirred, her eyes fluttering, "I love you, Mom." She managed to mumble, before falling back into a light slumber.

The door opened then, revealing Dr. Magnant and Sookie. Sookie was twisting her head around, clearly trying to get the kinks out, "Hey, doctor. Hey, Sookie, did you sleep here all night?"

"Yeah. I didn't want you and Rory to be alone." Sookie said, smiling as she took Lorelai's free hand. Lorelai smiled up at her best friend for a few moments, before focusing on the doctor.

"How am I, Dr. Magnant?" Lorelai asked, glancing down at Rory to make sure she was still asleep. Part of her was afraid that the doctor had played down her condition earlier because she'd been so out of it, and Rory had been there.

Dr. Magnant smiled, "You should be fine. We operated soon enough to prevent any irreversible damage. We're going to keep you here for a few days, because there are some complications from this type of injury that could present. You're not completely out of the woods, but the worst part is over."

Lorelai smiled, "Thanks, Doctor."

Rory stirred, "Thanks, Dr. Magnant." Her voice sounded so young and sleepy, Lorelai had to smile.

"You're both welcome. Get some rest, and your friends can come and visit you later." Dr. Magnant said, as she left gracefully. Sookie followed suit to get some breakfast.

Lorelai looked down at Rory and smiled, "What's cooking, babe?"

"I don't know, but I have an urge for some pudding." Rory smiled up at her mom, "Especially chocolate."

Lorelai sighed dramatically, "Oh, chocolate sounds so good right now."

Rory giggled, and Lorelai opened her mouth to speak again but was overcome by a wave of dizziness. She closed her eyes, blinking rapidly, but every time she opened them, the room spun.

"Mom?" Rory asked, sitting up and looking at her mom, worried.

"It's okay. I'm just…whoa." Lorelai put a shaky hand over her face as she tried to steady herself. She closed her eyes, and her arms dropped to the side. Before Rory could react, her mom began jerking violently. The alarm on the EEG machine began beeping wildly, as Rory began to scream. Her mom was flopping around on the bed, and Rory was terrified. She screamed for Dr. Magnant, wanting her to come and make her mom better.


	13. Dreamland

Unconscious Fears

By: Alyson Tierney

Disclaimer: I do not own Lorelai or Rory Gilmore, or any other character associated with Gilmore Girls the way it is seen on television. Those characters and other related things and ideas belong to Amy Sherman-Palladino and the WB Network. However, Alicia and Arielle's characters are figments of my own imagination, so I do own them. Please do not use them without my permission. Thank you.

Author's Note: This story is the sequel to my story "Arielle." Everything that has happened up to the Gilmore Girls episode "Not as Cute as Pushkin" is consistent with this story, but after that, it takes its own path, so relationships and other facts may be different than on the show. I am not a dream doctor, or a medical doctor, nor do I know anything about dreams or medicine, so if the information is way off, please don't shout at me.

I hope you like this chapter! I've finished the entire story already, but I'm finding that a lot of your suggestions are helping make a few changes in future chapters. It's each and every one of yours' feedback, comments, likes, and dislikes that helps this story. Thank you! Enjoy and please review if you wish!

CHAPTER THIRTEEN

Rory watched as the doctors worked on her mom. They threw around words like "BP" and "Ativan" and "IV push," which Rory didn't understand. Her lips quivered, as she watched her mom's flopping form finally cease jerking. She couldn't lose her. Lorelai was the most important person in Rory's world.

"Okay, BP is stabilizing. EEG is leveling out." Nurse Sayde reported. Dr. Magnant nodded, and walked over to where Rory was standing in the corner, her arms wrapped around her chest.

"Rory?" Dr. Magnant said, cautiously.

"You said she would be fine! That is not fine!" Rory said, accusingly.

"Rory…I said she should be fine, but I also said there could be complications from the surgery. Unfortunately, seizures are one of them." Dr. Magnant said, looking into Rory's baby blue eyes.

"She…had a seizure? Like epilepsy?" Rory asked, her voice quivering.

"No, an epileptic has chronic seizures because of abnormal brain activity. Lorelai's seizure was most likely a direct affect from the injury. Most patients with Lorelai's injury's seizures go away pretty quickly." Dr. Magnant explained.

Rory nodded, "Okay."

She was about to ask another question when she heard Lorelai's soft voice from the bed, "Rory? Babe?"

Rory rushed over to the bed, and took her mom's hand, "Hi, Mommy."

Lorelai groaned, "What happened? I got all dizzy and then I was waking up…"

"You had a seizure." Dr. Magnant explained, "Many patients have seizures after waking up from surgery of this nature. We're giving you some medicine to help it right now, and you should be fine."

"Medicine?" Lorelai looked at her arm, which now had another IV tube attached to it, "Oh great. I'm a pincushion."

Dr. Magnant smiled, as her beeper went off, "I'm being paged, but I should be back briefly. Get some rest."

"Thanks." Lorelai said, her voice sounding a little off. She noticed Nurse Sayde was still in the corner, writing in a file. Lorelai looked at Rory, with a supportive smile on her face.

Rory tried to talk, but got choked up. She blinked back tears, as she reached out and took her mom's hand carefully. "I took a header, huh?" Lorelai asked, reaching out to rub Rory's arm.

Rory nodded, "I was so scared."

"Oh, baby, I'm so sorry." Lorelai said, her voice a whisper, "I never wanted to scare you like this. I was hoping you wouldn't know this kind of fear…well, ever, but at least until you got older."

Rory's voice quivered, "I was scared you'd leave. I was scared you'd never…I was scared that you would think I still hated you. I'm so sorry I said that." Rory said, in a wavering voice. The tears began to come, cascading down Rory's cheeks.

Lorelai reached out to her daughter, who melted into Lorelai's arms, "Angel, its okay. I know you didn't mean it…you were just angry. It's okay."

Rory allowed herself to be rocked for a few moments, but then pulled away, "No, this isn't right. You're the one in the hospital bed. I should be comforting you, not falling apart."

"Babe, it's okay. The fact that you are here for me is comforting enough." Lorelai said, smiling at her daughter.

"Are you sure?" Rory asked, in a small voice.

"Positive. As long as my baby girl is here with me, I'm good." Lorelai gave her daughter a huge smile, and then yawned, "Stupid painkillers. They're like a constant invitation to dreamland. Scratch invitation, they drag you kicking and screaming."

Rory climbed back on the bed carefully, snuggling into her mom's shoulder, "Get some sleep, Mom."

"If you insist, Princess Rory." Lorelai said, yawning again. She tucked her head next to her daughter's and let sleep overtake her.

Lorelai tried to fight the images as they swirled through her head. She was standing on the front porch of the Gilmore house, and Rory was driving away in the car. She was driving farther and father, faster and faster, until she was gone. Her life was empty, a big, black hole. She turned, and the lone item in the pitch black was a small, pink bassinet. She recognized it as Rory's old bassinet. She rushed forward, hoping her baby was still there, but it was empty. Nothing was there except Rory's bear that had been lost when she was five. Lorelai felt an immense feeling of sadness, but it was slowly washed away as she drifted back up out of her sleeping state. Lorelai could hear Alicia talking to someone, and familiar cooing. She smiled, turning her head. Rory was fast asleep, curled next to her, and Arielle was playing on a blanket on the floor nearby. Alicia was standing near her child, talking to Nurse Sayde. The two were engaged in an excited discussion, and Lorelai smiled. She was glad Alicia was finding interesting people to talk to.

"Hi, Ari." Lorelai said, in a soft voice. The baby looked up and smiled, rising up on her knees to reach out to Lorelai. Alicia appeared from behind her daughter, and lifted her up.

"Want to see Auntie Lorelai?" Alicia asked. Lorelai watched as Alicia crossed to the other side of the bed, and placed Arielle on the bed next to Lorelai. Arielle smiled, and patted Lorelai's tummy. Lorelai smiled at the baby and reached out to tousle her hair.

"How are you feeling, Lorelai?" Alicia asked, perching on the bed.

"I feel better. Not quite as floaty as before." Lorelai smiled up at Alicia, and looked around the room. Nurse Sayde was checking a few of Lorelai's monitors, and Lane and Sookie were both fast asleep on the couch. Lorelai smiled, "I exhausted them, huh?"

Alicia shrugged, "Nah. They exhausted themselves staying up all night playing poker."

Lorelai chuckled, "Well, you know them and their poker." She turned her attention back to the baby, who was now playing with her plastic key ring. "Did Luke come by?"

"He was here yesterday, and he'll come back later today. With Lane not there, it means the diner is in Caesar's hands, and you know what that means." Alicia grinned.

"Total and complete chaos. Got it. I hope I didn't worry you guys too much." Lorelai chuckled as the baby grabbed her outstretched hand.

"Nah. You're Lorelai." Alicia said, and Lorelai grinned.

"The Inn still standing?" Lorelai asked, trying to make sure all the bases were covered.

Alicia smiled, even when she was injured, Lorelai tried to be the take-charge one, "It's standing. Michel stayed, and Logan offered to go over there and help out."

Rory stirred then, "Logan?" she asked, sleepily.

"Yeah. That guy of yours is over at the Dragonfly helping Michel out." Lorelai told her, smiling as Rory tossed an arm over her mom and Arielle poked at Rory's outstretched hand.

Rory grunted, "Ari." She yawned and opened her eyes, reaching out and brushing Arielle's nose before looking up at her mom, "I had another dream."

Lorelai smiled supportively at her daughter, "Just now?"

Rory nodded, a sad look on her face, "And before…the morning I found you."

"Oh…sweetie, mom's fine. I promise." Lorelai said, holding her daughter close to her. Rory nodded, but didn't answer, "And pretty soon we're going to get out of this dump and get some chocolate ice cream and coffee."

Rory raised an eyebrow, "She wants coffee." She turned to Alicia and smiled, "She must be feeling better."

Alicia grinned, "Must be." She smiled at Rory. Rory lay back on her mom's stomach. Arielle studied Rory for a few seconds, before reaching out and patting Rory's brunette locks. She then lay down with her head on Lorelai's stomach as well, and Lorelai smiled. Alicia smiled down at her child, stroking her hair, and the four enjoyed a quiet few moments.


	14. You're So Brave

Unconscious Fears

By: Alyson Tierney

Disclaimer: I do not own Lorelai or Rory Gilmore, or any other character associated with Gilmore Girls the way it is seen on television. Those characters and other related things and ideas belong to Amy Sherman-Palladino and the WB Network. However, Alicia and Arielle's characters are figments of my own imagination, so I do own them. Please do not use them without my permission. Thank you.

Author's Note: This story is the sequel to my story "Arielle." Everything that has happened up to the Gilmore Girls episode "Not as Cute as Pushkin" is consistent with this story, but after that, it takes its own path, so relationships and other facts may be different than on the show. I am not a dream doctor, or a medical doctor, nor do I know anything about dreams or medicine, so if the information is way off, please don't shout at me.

I hope you like this chapter! Enjoy and please review if you wish! It's each and every one of yours' feedback, comments, likes, and dislikes that helps this story. Thank you all! A special shout out to one of my very good friends, Beci (Remote Control Princess) for her help in this chapter. I totally would have sucked writing parts of this if it wasn't for you hon! Thank you!

This is the reposted chapter. Thank you to Professer, who was so kind to point out my error in mixing up MRIs and CT scans. (Hey, I knew they were both tube-thingies!)

CHAPTER FOURTEEN

The rest of Monday was spent with the girls at the hospital with Lorelai. Luke and Logan dropped by that evening, bringing about half of Stars Hollow with them. Lorelai smiled and gratefully talked to everyone, reassuring them that she was okay. They left once they were positive Lorelai's head wasn't going to turn black and fall off. Only Sookie, Lane, Alicia, Arielle, and Luke were left with Lorelai and Rory. Noticing her mom's glances at Luke and Luke's guilty expression, Rory nudged the other girls out into the hall. She could tell by her mom's body language that she wanted to talk to Luke alone.

"Hey, stranger." Lorelai said in a soft voice, as she looked over at Luke. He was sitting on the couch, looking a little out-of-place as he watched the girls file out the door. The look only lasted a few seconds before he smiled and came over to sit on the side of the bed.

Luke picked up her free hand, gently stroking it with his thumb, the human contact reassuring him that she was indeed alive and in front of him. He smiled at her for a few moments before asking, "How are you?"

"I'm fine, Luke. It was an accident, you know? The only person you have to blame is Mr. Wind. Oh, and Mrs. Gravity." Lorelai said, smiling.

Luke nodded faintly, "If you ever need to talk…you know where I live."

"I also know where you work!" Lorelai chirped, and grinned. Her face turned somber, "I do. Right now, I just need to get out of here."

Luke smiled, "And you'll get out of here soon. Do you want me to call your parents and let them know what happened?"

Lorelai took in a breath and closed her eyes, debating her options. Finally she let a breath out and shook her head, "No, I'll call them. Hopefully, the sound of my charming and chipper voice will reassure them that everything's okay and they don't need to cancel the trip they so deserve to take."

Luke grinned, "You're so brave, you know?"

Lorelai shrugged, "I do what needs being done." Their silence spoke dozens as they went quiet, basking in each other's company.

Dr. Magnant stopped by then, pleased that Lorelai hadn't had another seizure. She ordered two more days in the hospital to make sure, and arranged for a MRI before Lorelai left. Lorelai encouraged everyone to go home and get some sleep, and soon it was just her and Rory in the hospital room. She'd tried to get Rory to go home with Lane or Alicia and get some sleep, but Rory wasn't having it. She insisted on staying with her mom until she came home from the hospital, and Lorelai was secretly relieved. She and Rory opted to watch a few movies on the television in Lorelai's room, just like having one of their movie nights, but there wasn't any popcorn or chocolate.

Rory spent Tuesday half in fear and half in a sense of relief. Her mom was on anti-convulsant medications to ward off any additional seizures, but Dr. Magnant took her off of them Tuesday afternoon. Rory was petrified of Lorelai having another seizure, but as luck would have it, Tuesday passed with many visitors, no seizures, and a secret chocolate sundae from a certain nearby diner.

Rory stirred on Wednesday morning, after spending the night on the couch in her mom's room. She knew the nurses were going to come in bright and early to take her mom to the MRI room, so hopefully, she could be back home by noon.She lay awake for a few moments, staring up at the ceiling. There were cracks and funny splotches up there. Rory wondered if any of them were bloodstains. She shuddered at the thought and rolled over, her eyes falling over her mom's form on the bed. Lorelai's chest rose and fell, breathing in a steady rhythm. The EEG machine beeped steadily, which Rory knew was a good sign. Hearing the rattle of a cart outside, Rory startled, but then relaxed. They'd been going back and forth all night, so she should be used to it now. She continued to watch Lorelai, who looked so peaceful and undisturbed.

Images were going through Lorelai's head again. This time, Rory was going away in a plane. She watched through the airport terminal window, as the plane took her baby away forever. Was it forever? She was just going to be a journalist in Africa for a year. A year was so long. She looked down at her belly, swollen with pregnancy. She felt the baby move and kick, and wondered why Rory would leave when her mom was so close to giving birth.

Lorelai's eyes fluttered and opened. She breathed in a few times, looking down at her arm. She still had one IV tube in it, but they'd taken the one for her medication out yesterday. She wiggled her fingers, breathing in a sigh.

"Mom?" Rory's voice asked, and she could hear Rory approach the bed from the other side.

Lorelai looked up and smiled, as Rory took her hand, "Hey, babe, good sleep? Couch cushions comfortable?"

"Well, not as comfortable as our couch, but I'd definitely prefer it over a chair." Rory said, grinning down at her mom.

"Chairs are hard and yucky." Lorelai agreed. The girls heard a rattle at the door, and looked up, seeing Dr, Magnant and a few nurses enter the room, "Oh, goody, it's time."

Dr. Magnant chuckled, "Yep, time for a MRI. Have you ever had one before, Lorelai?"

"No, but I've seen them on TV. They're like a hollow tube thingy that you get to lie in like a tanning bed." Lorelai answered.

"Yes, exactly." Dr. Magnant smiled, "We're going to take you up there, and if everything looks good, I'm kicking you out of here."

"Good!" Lorelai retorted. They moved her mom into a wheelchair, and Rory followed next to it, into the elevator heading to the testing floor. As they walked down the hall, Rory stopped cold. The MRI testing room was just down the hall from the CT room. Memories from the past few days flooded her senses, as she remembered seeing her mom limp and lifeless on the bed in the CT room. She swallowed the fear back, as she followed everyone into the room.

"Okay, Rory, you can wait back behind the glass with me." Dr. Magnant held out her hand to Rory, "We'll take some quick pictures."

Rory watched as her mom got on the table. She waved to Rory and smiled, mouthing, 'It'll be fine.' Rory smiled, she was really hoping it would be fine. As the table slowly moved into the machine, she bit back feelings of terror. Everyone was saying her mom would be fine, and everything would be okay, but Rory couldn't help but worry that there would be a tiny glitch and then everything would be set back again. She remembered her dreams, the ones that kept coming back. There was an underlying issue there, Rory could feel it. She just wasn't sure what it was, but she hoped it wasn't a literal dream. Then again, dreams almost never were.

Lorelai closed her eyes as the table rolled into the machine. It was a closed space, enough to send a lot of people into a panic. Lorelai repressed the fear by keeping her eyes closed. She thought about the fear she'd seen in Rory's eyes when she'd woken up. She had scared her baby so badly, but she'd also scared herself really badly. She just was a master at hiding it. She hoped she could hide it long enough. Lorelai didn't know what she was going to do if there had been some permanent damage. Clearly, she still had her memory and her speech skills, so it couldn't be all that bad. She was just a little headachy since they were weaning her off of pain medications. Still…she worried.


	15. Mr Snow Melted

Unconscious Fears

By: Alyson Tierney

Disclaimer: I do not own Lorelai or Rory Gilmore, or any other character associated with Gilmore Girls the way it is seen on television. Those characters and other related things and ideas belong to Amy Sherman-Palladino and the WB Network. However, Dr. Magnant, Dr. Lockham, Nurse Sayde, Alicia, and Arielle's characters are figments of my own imagination, so I do own them. Please do not use them without my permission. Thank you.

Author's Note: This story is the sequel to my story "Arielle." Everything that has happened up to the Gilmore Girls episode "Not as Cute as Pushkin" is consistent with this story, but after that, it takes its own path, so relationships and other facts may be different than on the show. I am not a dream doctor, or a medical doctor, nor do I know anything about dreams or medicine, so if the information is way off, please don't shout at me.

I hope you like this chapter! Enjoy and please review if you wish! It's each and every one of yours' feedback, comments, likes, and dislikes that helps this story. Thank you all! A special thank you to Professer, who was so kind to point out my error in mixing up MRIs and CT scans in the last chapter. I've made corrections now.

CHAPTER FIFTEEN

The next few minutes went by very slowly for Lorelai and Rory. All Lorelai could hear were muffled beeps and humming noises. She didn't dare open her eyes, for fear of becoming scared. She was more scared of the machine itself than of the results of the test. A head injury was always serious, but Lorelai felt fine. She felt a click, and the table began moving back out of the machine. She breathed a sigh of relief, as she opened her eyes to see Dr. Magnant's smiling face.

Rory pressed up against the glass, watching her mom, letting her know she was there simply with her presence. After a few tense moments, Dr. Magnant went into the next room and moved the table back out of the machine. Rory's heart rose a few notches when she saw the doctor and her mom both smiling and talking. Lorelai looked up towards the window, and waved at her daughter. Rory wasn't sure if she was allowed to enter the next room, but her heart was screaming for her to run towards her mom. She still waited, as her mom got into the wheelchair again. Lorelai was perfectly capable of walking, but wheelchairs were hospital policy. The doctors didn't want the patients slipping and falling and suing the hospital for millions of dollars.

"Hey, kid! We're in the clear!" Lorelai announced the second she was wheeled through the door. Rory's face broke into a brilliant smile to match her mom's, and she squealed with happiness, rushing to engulf her mom in a tight hug.

"She's okay? There's no more bleeding?" Rory asked. She wanted to make absolutely sure.

"No more bleeding. Come here, I'll show you." Dr. Magnant answered, gesturing towards the computer screen. Rory saw a lot of pictures of a round object, which she guessed was Lorelai's brain.

"Hey, look, we have pictures of my big head!" Lorelai pointed. She took Rory's hand in hers and squeezed it reassuringly.

Dr. Magnant and the technician both laughed, "That's a picture of Lorelai's head on Sunday morning when she first came in. See the big, white clump here?" Dr. Magnant pointed to a white area near the top of the picture.

"Yeah. That's blood?" Rory asked.

"Yes. That's the buildup of blood on her brain. This is the picture we took after she was out of surgery, and the picture we took now." Dr. Magnant pointed to the screen.

"No more blood." Rory smiled, "Can it come back?"

"We fixed the broken vessels, so no, it can't spontaneously come back. Lorelai is going to have to be careful in the next few weeks, though. No highway driving, no reaching up to get heavy objects, and especially no ladders and roofs." Dr. Magnant smiled at Lorelai, who grinned sheepishly.

"Yeah. No ladders and roofs ever again!" Rory said, adamant.

"Okay, okay. I'll get Luke to do it." Lorelai sighed, dramatically.

"Good!" Rory put emphasis on that word, and looked her mother square in the eyes. She wanted Lorelai to know that she wasn't going to lose her like that.

Lorelai nodded, she got the message, "We can hit the road, then?"

"Let me sign your discharge papers, give you a prescription for some painkillers, and you're on your way." Dr. Magnant smiled.

On their way they were. After a quick stop in the emergency department to say goodbye to Dr. Lockham, Nurse Sayde wheeled Lorelai out to Rory's car. Lorelai protested, saying she could indeed walk, but since it was hospital policy, she allowed it.

"Oh, my God. Sun. Air. Trees. Hey, where's the snow?" Lorelai asked, as Rory put the key in the ignition and backed out of the space Alicia had parked her car the night before.

"It melted." Rory said, turning out of the small lot. She drove slowly down the street, coming to a gentle stop at the stop sign.

"It melted! I was in the hospital, and my dear friend Mr. Snow decides to up and melt on me?" Lorelai asked, aghast.

"It decided to let your friend Mr. Sun greet you instead." Rory smiled, as she went inching ahead down the street, turning into the town square. The town square looked a bit emptier today for some reason. The Gilmore house was only about half a mile from the hospital, but at the pace Rory was going, it might as well have been two hours away.

"Um, babe? You're being passed by turtles." Lorelai said, as Rory slowed to a stop at the only stoplight in Stars Hollow.

"I'm not going that slow, Mom." Rory said, switching on the turn signal, and the car practically crawled into the turn.

"You're going 10 miles under the speed limit! Which is 12!" Lorelai protested. She knew what was going through her daughter's head, Rory was afraid Lorelai would get hurt again, "Babe, I'm fine, you can go faster than that."

"No, I can't!" Rory said, a little frustrated. Lorelai backed down immediately, and simply rested her hand on Rory's shoulder comfortingly.

Lorelai watched as her daughter turned slowly down their street. There were only three buildings on the street; a duplex with a sign out front reading "Left Side for Rent," Babette and Morey's house, and the Gilmore's house at the end of the street. The street literally stopped at their driveway. The duplex's sign had been there for years since the couple living in the left apartment's last child had moved out. They'd relocated to Florida, so the family members in the right side apartment were the only occupants of the building.

Lorelai smiled as the car came into view of their house and parked in the driveway. She now understood why it had looked empty in the square. At least 40 people were crowded on the Gilmore porch, waving at the car. They were standing under a banner that screamed "Welcome Home, Lorelai!" in big, red letters.

"Oh, boy." Rory groaned, "I did not ask them to do this."

"I know you didn't, babe. We'll meet, we'll greet, we'll kick out." Lorelai said, as she unbuckled her belt.

The Gilmores walked into the throng of people, asking about Lorelai's well-being. Sookie was in the kitchen, cooking up lots of goodies, and Lane, Alicia, and Arielle were there, also. Lane skipped up to Rory and stage-whispered, "Guess what?"

Rory was intrigued, "What?"

"Your guy—Logan? He's helping Luke at the diner. Luke suggested it." Lane said, looking mystified.

"Oh, no." Rory groaned, "Did he have the protective-father look on his face?"

"He might have." Lane chuckled, "Logan wanted to help out wherever he could over the last few days. He's got charms, and I don't mean the cereal."

Rory smiled, "Yeah. He does." She already could tell something was very different about the relationship she had with Logan. With Dean, she felt like she had constant demands for attention, and with Jess…well, Jess simply was rude to everyone she cared about. He was even mildly rude to her, she realized now, she just had been too naïve to notice it. Logan…Logan was definitely different.


	16. Stubborn Gilmore Girls

Unconscious Fears

By: Alyson Tierney

Disclaimer: I do not own Lorelai or Rory Gilmore, or any other character associated with Gilmore Girls the way it is seen on television. Those characters and other related things and ideas belong to Amy Sherman-Palladino and the WB Network. However, Dr. Magnant, Dr. Lockham, Nurse Sayde, Alicia, and Arielle's characters are figments of my own imagination, so I do own them. Please do not use them without my permission. Thank you.

Author's Note: This story is the sequel to my story "Arielle." Everything that has happened up to the Gilmore Girls episode "Not as Cute as Pushkin" is consistent with this story, but after that, it takes its own path, so relationships and other facts may be different than on the show.

This story is winding down now; there are a total of nineteen chapters, so pretty soon it's all going to be over. I timed this so hopefully the last chapter will be posted a few days before all-new Gilmore Girls episodes come back. I hope you like this chapter! Enjoy and please review if you wish! It's each and every one of yours' feedback, comments, likes, and dislikes that helps this story. Thank you all! A special thank you to smile who submitted one of the longest reviews I've ever gotten. That was a surprise and a treat to read!

CHAPTER SIXTEEN

Rory allowed the party to stay in swing for about an hour, before she kicked guests out. The long good-byes the town was so fond of took at least another hour, so it was the middle of the afternoon before the only ones left were Lorelai, Rory, Sookie, Lane, Alicia, and Arielle.

Lorelai collapsed on the couch, "God, I missed this place." She laid her head on the back of the couch, and closed her eyes.

"This place definitely missed you." Rory smiled. She sat next to her mom, and stroked her hair back, "Do you want a nap?"

"I want some popcorn…cheese nips...Oreos…Cheetos…" Lorelai opened her eyes and got up, wandering into the kitchen to join Sookie. Rory got up to follow her, but changed her mind and sat back down.

"What's up?" Alicia asked, as she showed her daughter how to put different sized blocks in their different sized holes in the bucket.

"She needs to talk to Sookie. She hasn't…talked to anyone." Rory said, looking down, "She never talks to me."

"Oh, honey. She probably just doesn't want to scare you." Alicia said. She gave her daughter a few blocks and went to sit next to Rory.

Lane sat on her other side, "You're so much younger than she is, still. It's like she wants to talk to someone her own age about the scary stuff." Lane said, laying her hand on Rory's knee.

"But I can handle the scary stuff!" Rory said, "At least I think I can."

"I know you can…" Alicia began.

"And I know you can, too." Lane put in.

"But your mom doesn't. You're her baby. I can see her point of view as a mother myself; you just don't want to subject your baby to anything scary, whether she is 8 months old or 20 years old." Alicia said.

"Yeah. I guess I can understand that." Rory said, "I just wish she would."

"She will. When you're older, there will come a time." Alicia said, smiling down at her daughter. Arielle was looking back and forth from an oval block to a circular block and frowning in confusion.

Rory laughed, and got down on the floor next to the baby, "This one is called a circle, and this one is called an oval. And the circle one goes here…and the oval one goes here." Rory showed the baby where to slip the blocks in. The baby giggled and clapped her hands, "Here, you try the triangle."

"I can't believe she's going to be eight months tomorrow." Lane said, smiling down at the baby, "She's getting to be so big."

Alicia nodded, wistfully, "She really is. I worry about the equipment shed, she'd be getting into so much, there's so much work to do out there this spring."

"I don't know how many more times I can stand leaving my mom and you guys to go back to the dorms. I'm beginning to hate radiator quesadillas." Rory said in a disgruntled tone.

"Yeah. I don't know how much longer I can live with my band. They're nice and everything, but if I have to find one more half-eaten banana lying around on the counter I'm going to go nuts." Lane said, grudgingly.

"Not romance material, huh?" Rory asked, smiling.

"Not while I'm living with them." Lane said. She looked up at Alicia and Rory, who both began to grin, "No."

"Are you thinking what I'm thinking?" Rory asked.

"I bet I am!" Alicia said, looking down at Arielle, and grinning. She scooped up the baby and bounced her in front of Lane, "Pwease, Auntie Lainey! Pwease!" Lane began to smile as she reached for Arielle.

Lorelai headed into the kitchen, where Sookie was cleaning up after the party. She turned and gave Lorelai a quick hug as she entered, "Hey."

"Hey, Sook." Lorelai said, squeezing her best friend lightly.

"How are you doing?" Sookie asked.

"I'm fine. Now that I've got a Snoopy band-aid on up here," Lorelai pointed to her temple, "It looks a lot better to others." She took a seat at the table, and began fiddling with a stray plastic spoon.

"It's a cute band-aid." Sookie grinned, and turned back to the sink and rinsed her hands off. Sitting at the table next to Lorelai, she looked her best friend in the eye, "Now, how are you really doing?"

"I said I was fine." Lorelai said, not entirely convincingly.

"Yeah? Well, all I can think about was how terrified I was when Alicia told me you'd had an accident. How terrified Rory looked at the hospital. Yet, you were the one who actually had the accident. You must have been scared to death when you woke up." Sookie said, her voice soft, as to not attract attention from the girls in the living room.

Lorelai looked down for a moment, her voice dropped to a whisper, "It was scary."

"I know." Sookie said, putting her hand over Lorelai's.

"I didn't want to die." Lorelai said, in a quivering voice, "I thought they were going to tell me I was paralyzed or dying."

"But you weren't." Sookie said, her voice equally quiet.

Lorelai looked towards the living room, hearing her baby's voice, "No. I'd never leave my baby, and paralysis would never stop me from living my life."

Sookie smiled reassuringly, "No, you wouldn't, and it wouldn't. You're such a strong woman, you never cease to amaze me."

Lorelai smiled, "You are amazingly strong, too, and such a good mother to Davey. This little one is going to be so lucky to have him for a big brother and you for a mom." Lorelai said, laying her hand on Sookie's bulging stomach.

Sookie smiled, "Well, we certainly are cool mothers, then."

Lorelai chuckled, "That we are." She let Sookie pull her into a hug and hold her for a few moments before pulling back, "Let's go and be with those cool young women in the living room. Grab the popcorn."

"You got it!" Sookie nodded, and Lorelai headed into the living room.

"It's settled then. We'll go looking tomorrow." Rory was just finishing up saying in an excited tone when her mother walked in.

"Looking for what?" Lorelai asked, squeezing in on the couch in between Lane and Rory, "Going to stalk someone from a certain hospital?"

"Lane, Alicia, and I are…" Rory began, but was interrupted by Sookie.

"Okay! I got popcorn, I got cheese, and I got cookies! Let the video-fest begin!" Sookie practically shouted as she waddled into the living room, her arms full of goodies.

"Yay!" Lorelai cried, and helped Sookie place the food on the table. Arielle looked over at the table and grinned. She could see the cheese slices she loved so much, and got up on her hands and knees—the table was just a foot away.

"Look!" Alicia gasped, as Arielle inched forward on her hands and knees, crawling for the first time. She pulled up on the table, and reached forward, taking the cheese slices in her hands.

"Well, she really wanted that cheese." Lorelai laughed.

"Yeah, Ari! You're a big girl! You're mommy's big girl!" Alicia said, handing her daughter a few crackers. The girls watched as Arielle tasted a cracker, taking a small bite, and then licking a small slice of cheese. Arielle smiled, glad to be included in the snack-fest.

The girls selected a DVD, and settled in to watch. They'd wanted to leave Lorelai and Rory alone, but both Lorelai and Rory had insisted that they stay for a few hours. They all knew there was no changing a stubborn Gilmore girl's mind.


	17. The Giant Slinky

Unconscious Fears

By: Alyson Tierney

Disclaimer: I do not own Lorelai or Rory Gilmore, or any other character associated with Gilmore Girls the way it is seen on television. Those characters and other related things and ideas belong to Amy Sherman-Palladino and the WB Network. However, Dr. Magnant, Dr. Lockham, Nurse Sayde, Alicia, and Arielle's characters are figments of my own imagination, so I do own them. Please do not use them without my permission. Thank you.

Author's Note: This story is the sequel to my story "Arielle." Everything that has happened up to the Gilmore Girls episode "Not as Cute as Pushkin" is consistent with this story, but after that, it takes its own path, so relationships and other facts may be different than on the show.

I hope you like this chapter! Enjoy and please review if you wish! It's each and every one of yours' feedback, comments, likes, and dislikes that helps this story. Thank you all! This story is winding down now; there are two chapters left after this one, both to be posted in the next few days. I'll probably go back to writing short one-shots for Gilmore Girls, Buffy, and possibly ER after that.

CHAPTER SEVENTEEN

Luke and Logan walked briskly up the path to the Gilmore house. They had closed the diner shortly after the dinner hour, and left Caesar to the clean-up. Both wanted to get to the house and check on their respective girlfriends.

Luke knocked on the door lightly, but there was no answer. Logan noted that the lights were on, so they must either be at home, or huge wasters of electricity. Logan turned the knob, and the door opened easily. He smiled as Luke muttered under his breath about burglars and easy targets.

They found the girls in the living room, and smiled. Luke glanced around at the state of the living room, and turned, seeing the state of the kitchen. He grumbled again, muttering some more, this time about dirty kitchens and dirty rain gutters. He excused himself and walked towards the kitchen, as Logan continued to watch the women sleep. The TV screen was blue, meaning the DVD was long over. Sookie was in the easy chair, her feet propped up on the ottoman. Alicia was in the loveseat next to the portable crib, fast asleep. Her daughter was in the crib, asleep with her rear in the air and a stuffed pig underneath her. Lane snoozed in a corner of the couch, her left arm tucked underneath a pillow. Lorelai and Rory were snuggled in the opposite corner of the couch, Rory using Lorelai's shoulder as a pillow, her arm draped across Lorelai's stomach possessively. Logan knew Rory hadn't been sleeping well, even before her mom's accident, but now she looked so peaceful. He didn't dare disturb her, so he went into the kitchen after Luke. They cleaned up, and then Luke excused himself to go outside and check out the rain gutters. Logan figured that was a good idea, since they were what had started this whole mess. He continued cleaning, smiling as he saw the pictures of Lorelai and Rory hung up in random places.

Lorelai woke up slowly, looking around at everyone. She heard a noise in the kitchen, and slowly untangled Rory from her. Rory stirred, "Mommy?" She mumbled in her sleep.

"Shh. Sleep, baby." Lorelai whispered, kissing her forehead and gently leading Rory's head to a pillow. Rory snuggled into it and sighed contentedly.

Logan heard a noise behind him, and turned, nearly jumping out of his skin before he saw that it was only Lorelai, "Hey, Logan." Lorelai said, smiling at him, "What are you doing here?"

"Luke and I closed the diner and let Caesar clean up. Luke's out looking at your rain gutters now." Logan explained.

Lorelai smiled gratefully, "It's really nice that you gave up your spring break to help Rory and me out."

"I didn't give it up. I said I was going to hang around and be with Rory, and this was how I could be there for Rory, by helping out. Besides, I kind of like this little town. It's really odd, but fun." Logan said, grinning, "I like the giant slinky."

"You saw the slinky, huh? Well, thanks for everything, anyway." Lorelai said. She liked this boy so far. He definitely had something no other boy her daughter dated had.

"Anytime." Logan said, and they both looked up as Luke came in the back door.

"Lukie, my man!" Lorelai crowed, and flung her arms around Luke. They hugged, and then met in a searing kiss. Logan finally looked away, not sure how comfortable he was watching his girlfriend's mother kiss her boyfriend.

Lorelai finally pulled away from Luke and looked him in the eye, "Thanks."

"You're welcome. The rain gutters are now spotless, and water should run through there like Niagara Falls. How are you doing?" Luke asked, concern on his rugged face.

"I'm feeling much better. I have a little headache though, and was scouting for some Ibuprofen. I don't get my prescription filled until tomorrow." Lorelai said.

"Well, we'll get you some. Logan—upstairs bathroom, medicine cabinet." Luke said. Logan gave a nod, and headed towards the living room.

"Are you good?" Luke asked, looking into Lorelai's blue eyes.

"I'm good. I've got Rory, Sookie, you, and everyone else here for me." Lorelai smiled at Luke, who smiled back.

"I got the Ibuprofen." Logan said, walking back into the kitchen and producing the bottle.

"Thanks, Logan." Lorelai said. She smiled as Luke got her a glass of apple juice from the fridge. She downed the drink and the pill and smiled, 'I think we should wake everyone up, so they can go home. It's been a rough few days."

"Good plan." Luke said. He and Logan followed Lorelai into the living room. Lorelai got down on her knees next to Rory, "Babe? Time to wake up, angel."

Rory grunted and buried her head into the pillow, "No."

"Don't you want to say goodbye to Logan?" Lorelai asked, and grinned when

Rory's eyes popped open.

"Logan?" Rory asked, as she sat up. She smiled as she noticed her boyfriend hovering behind her mom, "Hey."

"Hey, Ace." Logan said, "I'm just saying goodnight before I go home."

Rory stood and engulfed her boyfriend in a hug, "Bye, Logan."

"Goodnight, Ace. I'll call you tomorrow?" Logan asked, catching her lips in a lingering kiss.

"Tomorrow." Rory said, nodding. She let her lips touch his for a fleeting moment more, and then walked him towards the door. She could hear Sookie, Lane, and Alicia being woken up behind them as she said goodbye to Logan.

"Night, Rory." Lane said, hugging her friend. She and Sookie headed out into the night, followed slowly by Alicia carrying a sleeping Arielle.

"Night, Rory. Night, Lorelai." Luke said. He caught Lorelai's lips in a kiss, holding it for a few seconds. He smiled, "I'll see you two at the diner tomorrow."

"See you, Luke. Thanks!" Lorelai said, putting her arm around Rory.

"Night, Luke." Rory said, as Luke pulled the door shut behind him. She sighed deeply, listening to the quiet that ensued.

"What a long couple of days." Lorelai said, as she turned the two back to the living room.

"Long, scary couple of days." Rory returned, as the two flopped down on the couch.

"Long, scary, exhausting couple of days." Lorelai finished. She sighed, relaxing into the cushions, as Rory flipped on the TV. She soon settled on a Discovery Channel movie about panda bears, and stopped. Smiling, she rested her head on her mom's shoulder. Lorelai began subconsciously tracing lines on her daughter's back and shoulders as she thought about the last couple of days. There the two sat, basking in the comfort and safety of each other's company.


	18. I Love You

Unconscious Fears

By: Alyson Tierney

Disclaimer: I do not own Lorelai or Rory Gilmore, or any other character associated with Gilmore Girls the way it is seen on television. Those characters and other related things and ideas belong to Amy Sherman-Palladino and the WB Network. However, Dr. Magnant, Dr. Lockham, Nurse Sayde, Alicia, and Arielle's characters are figments of my own imagination, so I do own them. Please do not use them without my permission. Thank you.

Author's Note: This story is the sequel to my story "Arielle." Everything that has happened up to the Gilmore Girls episode "Not as Cute as Pushkin" is consistent with this story, but after that, it takes its own path, so relationships and other facts may be different than on the show.

This is the last full-length chapter, full of sweetness, and then there's the epilogue, which I'll post tomorrow or Monday. I hope you like this chapter! Enjoy and please review if you wish! It's each and every one of yours' feedback, comments, likes, and dislikes that helps this story. Thank you all!

CHAPTER EIGHTEEN

Rory was just a few months old, and Lorelai was nursing her. Rory's eyes were closed, and she drank the milk hungrily. Her brown, curly locks lined her forehead, and her blue eyes fluttered open after she was finished eating. 'Mommy! Look!' The infant said, pointing. Lorelai looked, watching as her daughter sailed away on a ship across the Atlantic Ocean. The ship was large and massive, and her daughter looked so happy and peaceful. She looked back down at the baby nursing, and was surprised to realize it had turned into a blue-eyed, very-dark-brown-haired baby. This was not Rory, but she still felt some sense of familiarity and peace nursing this baby. She still felt some longing for Rory, who was now far away across the ocean, a speck in the distance.

Lorelai's eyelids popped open, her breathing sharp. She breathed in a few deep breaths, as she took in her surroundings. She was safely in bed at home, and from the looks of outside, morning was hours away. Checking the clock, she sighed, sure enough, it wasn't even four in the morning. Putting pillows behind her head so she could sit up more, Lorelai shook her head in order to wake herself. She listened to the nighttime noises of the house, relaxed at the thought that her daughter was sleeping just a floor below her.

Rory stood on the docks of the marina near New Haven. She'd often gone there to just think or read. This time was different. She and her mom had gone to swim at the beach, and walk along the docks. Lorelai had fallen in, and Rory was just watching her mom's face underwater. Lorelai's eyes were open and she seemed to be calling out for her daughter. Rory couldn't move, though. Her muscles and brain were screaming for her to reach out and pull her mom from the water, but she couldn't move. Her panicked state was causing a complete numb feeling. She knew she was dreaming, and she struggled to wake up. _Wake up! Come on! Wake up! Rory! Wake up! Now! I command you! Wake…_

"Up!" Rory screamed, as she bolted upright in bed, breathing hard. She struggled to get air in her panicked lungs. Breathing in short gasps, she hurried out of bed. She didn't want to stay asleep any longer than she had to. Needing her mom, Rory rushed out of her room and towards the stairs, shrieking as she felt someone bump into her and grab her arms.

"Rory?" Lorelai's sleepy voice asked, as Rory looked up at her mom, "Are you okay?" Rory took in a deep breath, still trying to get her breathing under control. She nodded, unable to talk, "Breathe, baby. Did you have a nightmare?"

Rory nodded again, "Yeah." She said, pitifully, "They keep coming, and you keep dying. I don't…I don't understand."

Lorelai pulled her daughter to her, "Come on, babe." She led Rory upstairs, and they crawled under the covers.

Rory rested her head facing her mom's. Taking her mom's hand, she tucked it under her chin, "They keep coming." Rory repeated.

Lorelai frowned, "I know babe. I don't think your dreams are a direct fear of me dying. I think they're a fear of me going away. Your dreams are telling you that you're scared of being away from home, scared of leaving me, and scared of taking big leaps out into the world after graduation."

Rory nodded slowly, "I am. Graduation is only two years away, and I'm expected to be some kind of big knowledge person."

Lorelai chuckled, "Rory, you are some kind of big knowledge person."

Rory blushed, "Not so much."

"Yes, so much. You are an incredibly bright and talented young lady." Lorelai nodded, tapping Rory's nose with her free hand.

"I guess. That doesn't scare me as much as the thought of being away from you. Even though I am away from you for a week or two at a time, I just don't like it. I thought I'd get used to it, but I still haven't. That's why…" Rory stopped and looked at her mom.

"Honey, you're not dropping out of school, are you?" Lorelai asked, her brows arched.

Rory laughed, "No, of course not. Alicia, Lane, and I are going to share an apartment together. We're going tomorrow to look at places, but Alicia's had her eye on the duplex two doors down from here. The sign's been up there forever."

Lorelai's face broke into a grin, "So you're going to stay in Stars Hollow?"

Rory nodded, "For the next two years at least, more if I can get a job near here. There are plenty of newspaper and writing jobs around here, I've been asking around." Rory said, smiling, "And I can continue working at the Inn, and even work a few additional hours to help with the cost of the apartment."

"As long as it doesn't interfere with your schoolwork…I'd love to have you there with me." Lorelai couldn't hide the satisfaction on her face, as she pulled Rory's hands towards her and gave them a big kiss.

"It won't interfere with my schoolwork." Rory said, her grin matching Lorelai's, "Promise."

Lorelai sighed, "Good. Then maybe my dreams will go away."

"Your dreams?" Rory asked, her brows crinkled.

Lorelai nodded, "Yeah. I've been having these weird dreams, with you in a bassinet or I'm nursing you, and then all of a sudden you go away on a plane or a boat or in a car. I'm stuck alone with an empty bassinet and empty arms. Tonight was weird though. I looked back down at my arms and there was another baby in it."

"Arielle?" Rory asked.

Lorelai shook her head, "No, this baby had blue eyes, but very dark hair. Remember how I burned all of my baby pictures?"

Rory asserted with a nod of her head, "Yes. I still don't know what you looked like as a baby."

"The baby looked kind of like me. It wasn't me, because it was me feeding it, but it was clearly my child. Not you, though." Lorelai said, looking confused.

Rory pursed her lips together, "Possibly you're feeling a little lost and alone now that I've gone to college, and are longing for the feeling again, and you think you can get that feeling by having another baby. Especially since attempts to shrink me have never succeeded."

Lorelai chuckled, "Probably. Another baby would be nice, especially after the past few months with Arielle. You're always going to be my first baby girl, though."

Rory smiled and snuggled closer, resting her head on her mom's stomach, "I love you, Mom."

Lorelai kissed the top of Rory's head, "I love you, too, kid. Sweet dreams." They closed their eyes, letting the sound of the other's breathing lull them to sleep. Knowing that Rory was going to be closer to her mom now, and they'd always be around each other let them sleep safely through the rest of the night.


	19. Race You to the Coffee

Unconscious Fears

By: Alyson Tierney

Disclaimer: I do not own Lorelai or Rory Gilmore, or any other character associated with Gilmore Girls the way it is seen on television. Those characters and other related things and ideas belong to Amy Sherman-Palladino and the WB Network. However, Dr. Magnant, Dr. Lockham, Nurse Sayde, Alicia, and Arielle's characters are figments of my own imagination, so I do own them. Please do not use them without my permission. Thank you.

Author's Note: This story is the sequel to my story "Arielle." Everything that has happened up to the Gilmore Girls episode "Not as Cute as Pushkin" is consistent with this story, but after that, it takes its own path, so relationships and other facts may be different than on the show.

Okay, well as a great person once said…"All good things must come to an end." That end is here, the final chapter in the Unconscious Fears story. This story took from mid-January to mid-March to write, sustained a few touch-ups, and you have the final product…wow, what a long one. Thank you so much to each and every one of you who took time to review this story. It meant so much to me and I'm very grateful. I'm going to take a break from long fan fictions for awhile, and focus on writing originals, but there should be short ficlets from time to time. Thank you to everyone again!

CHAPTER 19/EPILOGUE

Lorelai stirred the next morning, the sun streaming through the window and into her face. She groaned, thinking 'It must be past ten.' The sun always was in her face past ten in the morning. Shifting, she realized that she couldn't move more than two inches to her left. She looked down and smiled. Rory was scrunched up against her mom, her face buried in the blankets and pillows, one arm stretched across Lorelai's stomach. She looked so sweet and peaceful, and Lorelai didn't dare disturb her. Instead she simply stretched out momentarily, and snuggled back into the pillow, listening to Rory's soft breathing.

Rory felt herself lifting slowly out of slumber. She opened her eyes, aware of her mom's fingers slowly stroking her cheek. Looking up, she caught her mom's blue eyes, "Hey." She said, smiling broadly.

"Hey, babe. Sleep better?" Lorelai asked.

Rory nodded, "Much. No more dreams."

Lorelai smiled down at her daughter, "Do you want to go to Luke's soon?"

Rory hesitated, and then slowly nodded, "First, can we talk?"

"Sure, honey. What do you need to talk about?" Lorelai asked, "Boys? Plans for today? Lipstick?"

Rory chuckled, rolling her eyes, "When have we ever talked about lipstick?"

"Um, well, never? But there's a first time for everything." Lorelai grinned devilishly.

Rory smiled, and then her face turned serious, "I need to talk to you about…"

Lorelai looked perplexed, "About…" She was only confused for a moment before she realized what her daughter meant, "About the whole thing we had after the party?"

Rory nodded, "Yeah. I'm so sorry, Mom."

Lorelai made a sympathetic noise, "Its okay…"

"No, I really am sorry. I don't like the feeling I get sometimes. You look at me whenever Dean is mentioned, and your face…I'm so sorry, I didn't mean to yell at you, and I definitely don't ever hate you." Rory said, her eyes looking wide and Bambi-like.

"It's okay, baby. I just get worried sometimes that you're not acting like high school Rory, but then I have to remember that you're changing and growing and maturing and you're in college. I may not like it, but I'll have to remember it." Lorelai said, smiling reassuringly.

Rory smiled back, "You don't have to worry. I may not always act the same, but I'll always be your daughter. I'll always be Rory."

Lorelai nodded, "That you will. You will always, always be Rory." She opened her arms to her daughter, who slipped into them gratefully, "I love you."

"I love you too." Rory said as she flopped back onto the pillows.

After a few moments, Lorelai noticed Rory looking directly at her mom's face, seemingly judging what was going on behind her eyes. She was staring so intently, Lorelai had to smile, "What, baby?"

"Talk please?" Rory requested, letting her mom know she wasn't getting away with hiding.

Lorelai smiled reassuringly, "I'll be okay. It was scary for me and for you. I just didn't want to scare you even more when you were scared enough."

Rory nodded, "I appreciate you wanting to shield me, but like you said, I'm growing up. I can handle more now."

Lorelai nodded her head, "I'm beginning to realize that slowly but surely. I'm really okay, though. All I really need is a certain blue-eyed, 5 ½-feet, brunette college student around, and I'm good."

Rory smiled, "Good." After a few seconds, she grinned, "Coffee?"

"Race you!" Lorelai said, hurrying as fast as she could out of bed. For someone who was recovering from a head injury, she moved quite fast. Rory was on her heels, the joyous shrieks echoing through the house as they ran down to the kitchen, ready to start a new day.

THE END

Thank you for reading this story.

Keep checking back for more stories by me!


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